Democratic Alliance leader and Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, says his top priority during the three-day visit to the United States will be to secure and strengthen ties to boost economic growth and strengthen jobs.
Steenhuisen forms part of the delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa to meet US President Donald Trump and his senior officials on what is being described as a historic and vital diplomatic mission.
This visit comes a week after a group of 49 Afrikaners left South Africa for the US as refugees, claiming genocide and persecution of Afrikaners in the country.
Protecting jobs
“My highest priority will be securing trade relations between the US and SA, particularly in agriculture, to protect jobs, grow the economy, and expand employment opportunities,” said Steenhuisen.
He said losing access to programmes such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) would disadvantage farm workers, farmers and the economy at large.
This visit has received backing from the FW De Klerk Foundation, which called for a focus on common goals between the two nations.
Christo van der Rheede, FW De Klerk Foundation executive director, highlighted the strength of the current economic ties, noting that South Africa is the US’s largest trading partner in Africa, with trade exceeding $20 billion.
Van der Rheede also pointed to the presence of at least 600 American companies in South Africa, employing nearly 200 000 people.
He highlighted that the US imports essential minerals, including gold, chromium, platinum, and other ores and slag.
Focus on common benefits
“The foundation believes that matters that benefit both South Africa and the US should be focused on, rather than getting entangled in trivial domestic issues.
“The spotlight should be particularly on the trade front and matters related to strategic geopolitical cooperation,” said Van der Rheede.
On the geopolitical front, he said Ramaphosa holds a highly strategic position due to his relationships with other global leaders, including President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, and even leaders in Iran and Hamas.
Van der Rheede urged Ramaphosa to use this position to support peace efforts and push for a fair global trade regime.
“The foundation also welcomes the clarification by cabinet members in the GNU in terms of domestic policy issues such as the Expropriation Act and also disinformation campaigns related to genocide, persecution of Afrikaners and confiscation of land from white farmers happening in South Africa. This is simply not true.
“It is the responsibility of all cabinet members, especially from the opposition ranks such as the IFP, DA, FF-Plus and PA, to put South Africa’s interests first,” said van der Rheede.
