The leader of INjeje YabeNguni Council, Induna Phumlani Mfeka. Picture Supplied
In a dramatic response to Donald Trump's recent remarks regarding South Africa's Expropriation Act, the royal lobby group Injeje YabeNguni Council has called on the US president to “set aside land in America for all whites in South Africa”.
The council, led by Induna Phumlani Mfeka, has urged Trump to “set aside land in America for all the whites in South Africa”, as tensions surrounding land ownership and racial dynamics in the nation simmer.
Trump's contentious comments came after a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), where he expressed concerns over land expropriation in South Africa, declaring: “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people very badly.”
He further threatened to cut off future funding to the country until a comprehensive investigation was conducted.
South African-born US-based billionaire and close ally of Trump, Elon Musk who heads Trump’s department of government efficiency, was born in Pretoria and briefly attended the University of Pretoria, also took to X and claimed that SA had “openly racist ownership laws”.
In the statement released by INjeje, they condemned Trump's assertions, “Our council makes this call after learning of Trump’s concern on South African land issues,”
The council did not shy away from tackling local political players either, launching scathing criticism at the Democratic Alliance (DA) and AfriForum, branding these formations as “racist neoliberal and imperialist formations.”
This label has intensified the debate around race and land, piquing interest nationwide.
“While we are fully cognisant of the fact that the USA is a strong backer of the racist neoliberal and imperialist formations such as the Democratic Alliance and AfriForum, the majority of Indigenous people of South Africa do not recognize them as both,” the statement continued, emphasising a significant disconnect between these organisations and the historical injustices faced by black South Africans.
In response to Trump's threats of withdrawing US investments, which the council argues disproportionately benefit a “white commercial class”, INjeje said that such economic threats were “meaningless to a people who reside in abject poverty and deteriorating standards of living.”
Not pulling the punches, INjeje said the revolution in South Africa was inevitable.
“It is a foregone conclusion that the Indigenous people of the land led by their monarchs and royal leadership institutions will rise to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them.”
The DA was quick to distance itself from Trump's comments, with party leader John Steenhuisen noting with “deep concern” Trump’s threat to cut critical aid funding in response to the Expropriation Act.
AfriForum countered that any US sanctions should target ANC leaders instead of the entire population, further complicating the already fraught narrative.
In a swift retort, the African National Congress (ANC) accused AfriForum of being a “racist organisation” seeking to create division amidst ongoing racial tensions within the country, illustrating a broader societal struggle over identity and belonging.
The South African government has also dismissed Trump’s assertions.
DAILY NEWS