Durban – Donald Trump has long been subject to divided opinion, a situation intensified by his Republican nomination for the American presidency.
To gauge the popularity of the businessman turned politician’s ascension to the White House, the Daily News sounded out South African political parties on Trump the president.
Zizi Kodwa, ANC spokesman, said they preferred not to say much about some of the remarks Trump made during the intense campaign trail because “when a person is campaigning they say a lot of things”. They would judge him based on his policies.
“We are looking forward to listening to his speech during his inauguration today, because that will define what his policies are all about.”
Stevens Mokgalapa, DA spokesman for international relations and co-operation, said he hoped the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade agreement between African countries and the US would remain intact.
“There are also foreign policy agreements between South Africa and the US, which focus on peacekeeping, aid and development particularly in Africa, and we want that to be an ongoing thing even under Trump’s administration.”
Read: Africa 'unlikely to be a priority' for Trump
On Trump’s rhetoric on building a $25 billion (R340bn) wall along the US-Mexico border and the immigration of Syrian refugees,
Mokgalapa said: “Those are sovereign issues of the US, they are domestic issues, but we also hope they were campaign gimmicks and won’t be applied to the policies of Trump’s administration.”
Mangosuthu Buthelezi, IFP president, said when Trump spelt out his foreign policy ideas in April, he did not make any mention of South Africa.
“Indeed, his speech neglected to include the entire continent of Africa. It seems his attention when it comes to foreign policy will be elsewhere, most notably on fighting Isis.”
He was concerned by Trump’s apparent preoccupation with restricting the global movement of people.
“It is an approach that has the potential to escalate xenophobia,” said Buthelezi.
The IFP leader disliked Trump’s assertion that South Africa was “very dangerous” and “a crime-ridden mess just waiting to explode”.
He said Trump was therefore unlikely to place South Africa on the positive side “in his determination of desirable and undesirable nations.
“He has explicitly stated that he will always do what is best for America.
“It is unlikely that decisions regarding America’s interaction with South Africa will be driven by ideals such as the fostering of human rights or humanitarian assistance, but will rather be based on what America can get out of the deal.
“There are certainly changes ahead, as he declared that America is going to change its trade, immigration and economic policies,” Buthelezi said.
The era of social ideals and moral imperatives had given way to the drawing of lines between “us and them”.
Daily News