Treason claims after US visits dismissed

Claims of alleged treason against the Democratic Alliance (DA), former opposition party now in the Government of National Unity, and the Solidarity Movement – floated by the ANC and other parties and widely supported by both social and mainstream media commentators – following their recent trips to the US to discuss the state of South Africa with the Trump administration, have been laughed off by both, as well as most law experts, notes Legalbrief. The Solidarity Movement, which includes AfriForum, returned from the US last week. Jaco Kleynhans, its head of international liaison, said they did not see the engagement as an event but rather an ongoing process, indicating they have been engaging with the American Government for 21 years. ‘We have built strong relationships over the years that now give us access to the White House, Congress, and various government departments. Trump’s statements and focus on SA are partly due to our many years of engagement but also due to the SA Government’s total neglect of relations with the US,’ he said.

Emma Powell, the DA's spokesperson on international affairs, said they have no intention of advancing the alignment of SA’s foreign policy to that of the US. ‘Our relationship is mutually beneficial, and SA is a strong strategic partner to the US from a trade and security perspective. We mourn the loss of Pepfar (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funding and consider the immediacy of the cuts as deeply inhumane,’ Powell is quoted by Weekend Argus as saying. She added that the DA would also like to seek pathways to de-escalate the current heightened tensions and safeguard the significant trade relationship between SA and the US. ‘For example, there are no current state-sponsored land dispossessions; we have launched court action in respect of the Expropriation Act to protect private property rights and we have full faith in our judiciary, and that farm murders are part of a broader crime problem in SA that impacts all South Africans, not just the white minority as claimed by the Trump administration,’ she said. Powell laughed off suggestions by political parties in the so-called progressive caucus that the DA and the other organisations that visited the US should face charges of treason.

Full Weekend Argus report

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim that SA farms are being confiscated on his social media platform on Friday. ‘SA is being terrible, plus, to long time farmers in the country. They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT,’ Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. ‘A bad place to be right now, and we are stopping all Federal Funding. To go a step further, any Farmer (with family!) from SA, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to citizenship. This process will begin immediately!’ This, notes a News24 report, is the latest incident in a straining of diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Washington after Trump returned to the White House in January.

Full News24 report