Afrikaners not responsible for misinforming Trump – organization member

The misinformation narrative is exaggerated, Theuns Eloff of the Afrikaner Leadership Network has said

The Afrikaner Leadership Network says Afrikaners in South Africa cannot be blamed for misinforming United States President Donald Trump about the situation prevailing in Africa’s economic powerhouse.

On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in United States for a high-stakes encounter with Trump, with Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen joining the delegation to help negotiate for the continuation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The meeting aims to reset strained relations between the two countries and secure a favorable trade deal.

Ramaphosa and Steenhuisen, who is also the DA leader, are joined by Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and International Relations and Minister Ronald Lamola. New special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas is also part of the team.

In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, the Afrikaner Leadership Network’s Theuns Eloff said it is wrong for anyone to blame Afrikaners for misinforming Trump. Eloff added that the misinformation narrative is overstated, adding that he believes Trump knows what is happening in South Africa.

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“Let me speak about the American administration and separate them from Mr Trump himself. Mr Trump may believe things that he has been told by we don’t know who, not by any Afrikaners’ organisations of this country. As the Afrikaner Leadership Network, when we met with the ANC, we said we had never said there is white genocide and we had never said there is large scale expropriation of white or Afrikaner farms. So he got it somewhere,” said Eloff.

“This thing of misinformation is bandied about. If I were in the American administration and I had to advise the president, I would ask the embassy in South Africa and probably the CIA who can read everything that is being said on South African media and South African social media.

“So I do not think we must overemphasise this thing of misinformation. There is no way the Americans depend of X,Y or Z to know what is happening. They know what is happening so it is a question of emphasis. I think for me that is the nuance we want here,” he said.

Last week, IOL reported that Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told Parliament that AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement are under investigation for alleged acts of treason.

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The Afrikaner groups are accused of providing false information to the United States government about the alleged persecution of white South Africans.

“The law enforcement agencies are investigating the treasonous act of misinformation… But we continue to make sure that the treasonous acts cannot be left unpunished,” Ntshavheni said during an oral question session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

Her remarks came as she outlined government reforms to South Africa’s intelligence architecture, which she said would remove political influence and ensure independence.

These reforms include the dissolution of the State Security Agency (SSA) and the establishment of two separate intelligence departments.

First published by IOL