The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by Julius Malema said it was “indifferent” about the re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America.
President Cyril Ramaphosa joined leaders across the world in sending congratulatory messages to Trump, after he defeated outgoing Vice President and Democrats’ candidate Kamala Harris in the tightly-contested November 5 elections.
Reacting to the massive celebrations of Trump’s return to the White House, EFF national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said the red berets know that the “imperialistic and oppressive” nature of US politics will persist, regardless of who is the incumbent president in Washington.
“We note Donald Trump’s re-election as the United States’ president. As the Economic Freedom Fighters, we remain indifferent because the imperialistic and oppressive nature of US politics persists regardless of who is in power,” she said.
“The fact is that the US has build its wealth on the dehumanisation of Africans. It continues to support the genocide of Palestinians and it undermines countries across the world. We have always condemned the US for its meddling and fostering of instability worldwide, to benefit itself,” she said.
“Whether it is Trump, or Kamila, it does not alter the destructive path the US has set globally.”
Trump's crushing presidential victory has ushered in a new era of uncertainty in terms of Africa-US relations, as international relations analyst Dr Gideon Chitanga told IOL on Wednesday.
In an interview, Chitanga who is a researcher at the Centre for Africa China Studies at University of Johannesburg, said the immediate aftermath of Trump’s return will be uncertainty.
“The immediate aftermath will be uncertainty, until a clear picture of the new Trump Africa policy can emerge. Africa was not a major issue in these elections, and a lot has changed since the last Trump presidency,” said Chitanga.
“However, there is a sense in which Trump will continue with his America first nationalist policies which seek maximal realisation for American interests.”
Chitanga said under President Joe Biden, US foreign policy towards Africa was shifting towards emboldened re-engagement, with Biden still expected to visit Angola before he winds up his tenure.
“I believe Trump’s business interests-driven foreign policy may not prioritise Africa among the many global challenges at play,” said the seasoned academic and international relations analyst.
“However, I expect him to continue with AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) — not much change in that regard.”
Chitanga said the United States elections happened at a time when Western nations are seeking ways to outpace China in its unprecedented efforts in growing ties with Africa. He added that the Western nations have not shown a coherent plan to court Africa, as Beijing has done.
IOL