Trump wants US firms exempted from BEE laws

FF Plus leader has yet to brief Ramaphosa on recent trip to White House

- MASHUDU SADIKE

FF PLUS leader Corné Mulder says he has yet to brief President Cyril Ramaphosa on claims that the Trump administration has demanded that US entities be exempted from all Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements as a precondition for normalising bilateral relations with South Africa.

There are more than 600 US companies based in South Africa.

Mulder made the claims as a FF Plus delegation returned from the US where they met with senior White House officials.

This demand is part of a broader set of conditions that include addressing farm attacks, condemning the “Kill the Boer” chant, and ensuring fair market compensation for land expropriation.

According to Mulder, the White House officials expressed concern that these conditions have not been adequately addressed.

Unions generally view BEE as a means to address the legacy of apartheid and its impact on economic inequality.

However, they are cautious about BEE deals that may primarily benefit only a small number of individuals, potentially undermining workers’ rights and wages.

In May, President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation embarked on a working visit to the US to meet with US president Donald Trump to help reset strained relations between the two countries and secure a favourable trade deal after a fallout over the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel that had been instituted by South Africa.