Naledi Pandor Calls on Farmers Affected by Diplomatic Tryst With US To Charge AfriForum

• The former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation DrNaledi Pandor weighed in on the current diplomatic relationship between the US and South Africa
• Pandor, who is now the chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said businesses wouldn't be able to export to the US if SAiskicked out of the AGOA agreement and must protest against Afriforum
• She suggested that they demand AfriForum pay them the same money they would have received from the United States

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG — The former Minister of International Relations and Cooperations Dr Naledi Pandor offered a tongue-in-cheek solution to farmers who would be affected if South Africa is kicked out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

What did Pandor say?

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Pandor's latest statement came a day after a letter four United States congressmen wrote to President Donald Trump a few months after he was sworn in as the president. The congressmen called on Donald Trump to punish South Africa for its stance against Israel, which it opened a genocide case against at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The letter was dated 11 February 2025 and reflects the deeply strained diplomatic relations between the two countries. They also called for Washington to sever diplomatic ties with Pretoria.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Pandor quipped that exporters who could be affected by the exclusion from the AGOA agreement should take their grievances to AfriForum. When asked whether AfriForum should be charged with treason, she replied that she wouldn't charge them.

She said those South Africans who would no longer export their goods if the threat of being excluded from AGOA holds should protest outside AfriForum's offices. She also said AfriForum must account.

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"They should out all the fruit and other goods that will be wasted at the door ofAfriforum and demand payment at the same level they would have received had they been able to export to America. AfriForum must be held to account, just as they claim that when they do their work as a civil society, they are doing it in the interests of South Africa. Let them now solve the problems they have caused," he said.

Washington is silent on whether it plans to engage with Pretoria. This is despite President Cyril Ramapohosa's earlier request to engage with Trump formally to explain the purpose of the Expropriation Act, which is one of the two points of contention Trump has against South Africa, the other being its case against Israel at the ICJ.

Watch the video here:

What you need to know about the US and South Africa

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• Diplomatic relations between the two countries went south when Trump announced that he would cut aid to SA after Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law
• He caused controversy when he signed an executive order which, among other things, permitted Afrikaners to resettle in the United States as refugees who were allegedly experiencing persecution
• The Economic Freedom Fighters reacted negatively to the Executive Order and demanded that the citizenships of Afrikaners and minority groups who accepted Trump's offer should be rescinded
• The president of the Southern African Agri Initiative, Theo De Jager, called on Trump not to ignore the sufferings of black farmers, who are affected by the same struggles as white farmers

SA Chamber of Commerce received over 10,000 inquiries

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United States said it received over 10,000 enquiries from Afrikaners who were interested in relocating to the United States.

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They said after Trump's Executive Order, interested residents contacted them and wanted to know the steps needed to relocate. The Chamber expressed concern that this could result in a skills exodus.

Source: Briefly News