President Cyril Ramaphosa Disappointed With AfriForum and Solidarity, Accuses Them of Badmouthing SA
- President Cyril Ramaphosa touched on AfriForum and Solidarity's visit to the United States of America
- The president accused the two lobby groups of running around the world badmouthing the country
- Ramaphosa said it was up to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) whether the actions were treasonous
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues. He spent 10 years working for a community newspaper before transitioning to online
WESTERN CAPE - President Cyril Ramaphosa is disappointed with Solidarity and AfriForum’s actions in the United States of America.
The two lobby groups visited the USA to speak to members of Donald Trump’s administration about the situation in South Africa.
The groups claimed that Afrikaners were being discriminated against in the country, something Trump has used as fuel to cut funding to South Africa. The US leader has also accused the government of confiscating land from farmers, saying that terrible things were happening in South Africa.
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He has since offered citizenship to South African farmers who wanted to leave the country because they didn't feel safe.
Ramaphosa describes actions as unpatriotic
While answering questions in the National Assembly on 11 March, Ramaphosa expressed his disappointment with the misinformation spread by the civil rights groups, calling it unpatriotic.
"I take a dim view, in fact, a very negative view of what has ensued as they run around the world, bad-mouthing their own country and putting their country into disrepute," he said.
Rampahosa added that AfriForum and Solidarity were seeking to spread racist statements about their own country, while South Africa was involved in building a nation that was once very divided. You can watch Ramaphosa's statement below.
Ramaphosa touches on treason charges
The president also touched on whether the groups’ actions constituted treason. The Hawks recently confirmed that it was investigating dockets of high treason.
Speaking about the issue, Ramaphosa said it was up to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to determine whether it should be considered treasonous.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party previously opened a case against AfriForum, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wanted the groups to be labelled as domestic terrorists.
What you need to know about AfriForum's actions
South Africans have accused AfriForum of treason after the organisation supported Donald Trump's claims
Afriforum distanced itself from Trump's Executive Order to offer refugee status to minority ethnic Afrikaners
The Presidency confirmed that Cyril Ramaphosa had no plans to meet with AfriForum following Trump's recent threats
The MK Party had opened a case against lobby group Afriforum at the Cape Town Central Police Station on 10 February
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wants AfriForum and Solidarity to be declared domestic terrorist organisations
AfriForum not losing sleep over treason charges
Briefly News also reported that how AfriForum was not fazed by the treason charges laid against it.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) confirmed they were investigating four cases of high treason.
South Africans are once again divided by the ongoing saga involving AfriForum and the government.
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Source: Briefly News
