Leader of the EFF Julius Malema during the debate in Parliament on Thursday on the decision by the United States to cut aid to South Africa.
Image: Phando Jikelo/Parliament of SA
EFF leader Julius Malema pulled no punches when he launched an attack on the United States for cutting aid to South Africa, saying the real intention behind Donald Trump’s executive orders should be questioned.
Speaking during a debate in Parliament on Thursday on the decision by the US government to halt aid to South Africa and its response, Malema said it was because of South Africa’s stance against Israel, in support of Palestine.
“Before invading nations the US always fabricates human rights violations to justify interventions. Today the same tactics are being used against South Africa,” he said.
After taking office, Trump signed executive orders to terminate the President’s Emergency Plan for Aid Relief (Pepfar).
Trump has since offered white Afrikaners refugee status in the US as the impasse over South Africa’s expropriation policy escalated, with AfriForum claiming there was a white genocide in the country.
Malema said Trump was demonstrating the advanced stage of capitalism, which was imperialism.
“Trump engages in transactional and manipulative relations with the world as if it is his back yard,” he said, adding that the hostility towards South Africa was not because of AfriForum’s disinformation, but America’s imperialist agenda.
“The USA has openly embraced the golden age of imperialism, extending its power through threats and termination of foreign aid.”
He insisted that South Africa was being punished for supporting Palestine against Israel.
“The USA does not believe there is white genocide or land grabs. These lies are useful tools to economic aggression and to weaken our moral authority to condemn Israel’s genocide.”
He called on South Africa to expand trade and strengthen relations with the BRICS countries.
“We will expropriate land without compensation whether they like or not. If they object, they can seek refuge in America,” Malema added.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said Pepfar funds paid for salaries and operation costs for about 15,000 employees who were at risk of losing their jobs due to the cuts in foreign aid.
“I believe Trump does not owe us any cent. Trump does not owe South Africa any cent whatsoever. For that reason we need to understand that we stand on our own,” he said.
MK Party MP Wesley Douglas said the US decision to suspend foreign aid was an act of economic cohesion that threatened lives and livelihoods around the world.
“This is economic warfare, unethical medical blackmail and an attempt to strong arm us into submission because we dare stand for justice, for land reform and restoration of dignity of the oppressed,” Douglas said.
He blamed the crisis on the “treasonous elements within AfriForum and Solidarity that should not go unpunished for pushing a false narrative to justify economic aggression".
Douglas said while recognising the US was one of the biggest trading partners of South Africa, he said the county has an option in BRICS that did not operate through threats and intimidation.
“We call on the US to immediately restore Pepfar or work a phased out process,” he said.
DA MP Karl le Roux said the sudden termination of Pepfar funding through USAID has been a huge shock and extremely damaging to the country’s healthcare system.
“We believe that the abrupt manner in which the funding was stopped is unethical and wasteful, and has not allowed governments, including our own, the chance to make contingency plans and to allocate budgets to cover funding shortfalls,” he said.
He urged the Department of Health to perform a careful pending review to identify wasteful expenditure and shift funds towards HIV response and programmes previously funded by Pepfar.
Freedom Front Plus parliamentary leader Corne Mulder said he found Malema’s address to be an attack on the US rather than being concerned about the people affected by the foreign aid cut.
Mulder said the US is the second largest trading partner of South African and played a pivotal role in the economy.
He said South Africa should learn from India which had visited Trump and signed a trade agreement.
International relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said while they acknowledged the contribution of Pepfar, they should not bemoan the decision of the US to revisit their foreign aid policy.
He said the moment presented a catalyst for change.
“We must act in unison to mitigate the negative impact of the US cuts. We must ensure our domestic imperatives serve our nation efficiently and sustainable.”
He said AfriForum had positioned itself against the people of South Africa.
“We remain committed to a democratic socio economic agenda to reverse the legacy of colonialism and apartheid disposition, discrimination and marginalisation,” he said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za
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