We Will Retaliate If US Withdraws Funds – SA Mining Minister

Gwede Mantashe

South African Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe says the country should retaliate if the United States withdraws funding to the nation.

South Africa should prevent the US from accessing its minerals if Washington withdraws funding to the nation over its land expropriation policies, the minister said.

In a February 2 social media post, US President Donald Trump, accused South Africa of “confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people “very badly”.

 

 

 

Trump added: “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”

I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed

Last month, legislators in South Africa passed a law allowing land to be seized without compensation if deemed to be in the public interest. This is seen by many as an attempt to deal with some apartheid-era land-related restitution issues.

“If [the US] don’t give us money, let’s not give them minerals,” Mineral Resources Minister Mantashe said at Mining Indaba, the biggest mining conference on the African continent.

President Trump, who is closely allied with South African raised innovator US Elon Musk, has indicated that he is ready to use US might to influence the issue in South Africa.

Some experts think growing ties between South Africa and eastern powers like China and Russia as well as its decision to join BRIKS has the potential to court more ‘animosity’ from the Trump government.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WP Radio
WP Radio
OFFLINE LIVE
Scroll to Top