Crucial talks between Trump, Ramaphosa

Trade not Afrikaner refugees high on SA president's agenda

- BONGANI HANS and TASCHICA PILLAY

WHILE the emigration of a group of Afrikaners to the US under the guise of escaping genocide is likely to feature, it will not be the primary focus when President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with his counterpart President Donald Trump this week.

Ramaphosa was mostly prepared to engage Trump on economic and trade issues, but was aware that the issue of his government taking the Israeli administration to the International Court of Justice might come up strongly during the discussions at the White House.

Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the president did not see the Afrikaner refugee matter as important, as it "does not define US-South Africa relations."

The president and several ministers will travel to Washington, DC, from tomorrow until Thursday for meetings with Trump. The visit follows an executive order signed by Trump in February, which was perceived as a threat to sever relations with South Africa.

This will be the first diplomatic face-to-face meeting since Trump's inauguration in January. Trump alleged that the South African government confiscates "disfavoured" citizens' property without compensation, subjecting Afrikaners to genocide and discriminatory transformation policies.

Magwenya said Ramaphosa would not be apologetic or back down on refuting the distortion of facts regarding the treatment of Afrikaners.

"The president will once again affirm the untruthful nature of so-called genocide claims.

"However, there are far more important issues that are central to the relationship between the two countries.

"For the president, this issue (of Afrikaners) is not a priority," Magwenya.

He said Ramaphosa had articulated the country's position on the matter well enough and that his position "will remain as firm as we have communicated it in the past". "The president will not accept a distorted view about the state of his own country."