AfriForum Tags Ramaphosa a Liar After Stressing Finding ‘SA Solutions to SA Problems’ in SONA Reply
- Minority lobby group AfriForum has blasted President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) reply
- Chief Executive Kallie Kriel labelled Ramaphosa a liar for insisting on seeking South African solutions to issues
- Kriel took issue with new laws, namely the Expropriation Bill and Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act
Source: Twitter
Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.
JOHANNESBURG — AfriForum Chief Executive Kallie Kriel added his two cents to the raging conversation gripping South Africa.
Bringing it into sharp focus has been the United States' response to the events playing out — a response the lobby group thrust its weight behind.
AfriForum denounces Ramaphosa
After calling on US President Donald Trump to punish African National Congress (ANC) politicians for bad policy decisions — and not all South Africans — as the world's leading economy announced aid cuts and signed an Executive Order citing white minority Afrikaners as refugees, Kriel has now taken direct aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Taking to his X profile on Friday, 14 February 2025, he labelled Ramaphosa a liar, noting a specific part of his State of the Nation Address (SONA) reply.
Then, a day earlier, while addressing Members of Parliament (MPs) at Cape Town City Hall, the president again alluded to Trump's move and AfriForum's subsequent request that the US "punish" ANC politicians.
He termed the goings-on a harsh global wind and offered:
"This is not the time for any of us to rush off to foreign lands to lay complaints about issues that we can solve ourselves in our country.
"We must not allow others to define us or to divide us; we need to stand united as a nation, more so as we now face a harsh global wind.
"We need South African solutions to South African problems ... And I repeat, we will not be bullied [for] our intent to work together."
Among the contentions, AfriForum took issue with the recent passing of the Expropriation Bill and Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
Under the former, the government can acquire a private individual's property in the public interest after equitable compensation.
Previously, there were plans to expropriate the land without compensation.
However, in exceptional circumstances, the government could still pursue expropriations without compensation in the public interest.
According to a November 2017 Land Audit report, whites own 26,663,144 ha or 72% of farms and agricultural holdings by individual landowners.
In his post, Kriel flat-out contradicted Ramaphosa.
"The president lied when he said he wants to find 'South African solutions for South African problems'. AfriForum wrote to President Ramaphosa in April 2024 to seek a 'South African solution' to the threat the Expropriation Act poses to property rights and all the people of the country.
"Ramaphosa simply ignored our letter. Regarding the anti-Afrikaans BELA Act, the President mandated his office to negotiate a solution with our colleagues at Solidariteit at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
"After an agreement was reached, Ramaphosa simply denied knowledge of the negotiations. He has disrespected us. His actions are not those of a man who is trying to find 'South African solutions for South African problems'."
After Ramaphosa signed the BELA Bill into law in September, he delayed implementing two clauses, namely school admissions and language policies, for further consultation.
In its current form, the Act stipulates that the provincial government determines a school's language of instruction. At the time of its signing, Kriel said the move would disproportionately affect Afrikaans schools.
"For obvious reasons, this is the biggest protest from the Afrikaans community since 1994 and there’s good reason for it. People are angry because the BELA Act is targeting Afrikaans schools specifically. Therefore, it targets our children."
In his latest outburst, Kriel said SA's government was not remaining neutral, but openly siding with the US' enemies, one of SA's largest trading partners.
"These actions don't contribute towards addressing poverty and unemployment in South Africa. This is an act of disloyalty to South Africans."
In a post in which he tagged Trump and the US President's South African-born close allies, Elon Musk and conservative political commentator and radio host Joel Pollak, he added that AfriForum was committed to finding solutions that serve the country's best interests.
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Source: Briefly News
