VOCIFEROUS threats by US President Donald Trump against South Africa over its decision to embark on land reform once again bring to the fore why Africa’s struggle for freedom can only reach full cycle when its people successfully man- age to dislodge imperialism and take control of their natural resources and means of production.
Equally compelling, these threats necessitate the need for homegrown opposition in tandem with the collective aspirations of the masses.
In his typical puerile, chauvinistic style, Trump claimed on Sunday that ‘certain classes of people’ (whites) were being treated very ‘badly’ in South Africa and that he would effectively cut off the Southern African nation ‘until the matter is investigated’.
For countries like Zimbabwe, which have walked that dreadful path, there is no prize for guessing that what is coming South Africa’s way is a relentless political and economic onslaught against its ruling party, the ANC, and the masses.
They will be harangued in order to halt that noble programme of giving back to their people what rightfully belongs to them.
Zimbabwe, which is often brandished as a ‘classic’ case of why black people must not own their land and abundant natural resources, has endured 24 years of a horrific political and economic war- fare specifically created for the purposes of reversing that programme and removing from power the Government that gave the masses land.
There are many lessons that the ANC can draw from Zimbabwe but one that
immediately comes to mind is that the people of South Africa must be vigilant in defending the coming gains and making their land productive.
Ownership of that coveted resource, as we have learnt in Zimbabwe, particularly from our agonising experiences during the war of liberation, naturally comes with pain but coupled with many rewards as well.
Our farmers have excelled in that regard in spite of Western-sponsored illegal economic sanctions.
South Africans must thus expect more of the same, especially in the wake of Trump’s dreadful outbursts on Sunday.
While Trump’s detestable, erratic behaviour has been a matter of public record for many years, what cannot be ignored and which often dreadfully manifests in other Western countries’ conduct towards Africa and their former colonies, is that their pursuit of neo-colonialism is solely designed to deny Africans access to their natural resources.
They irreverently call ownership of those resources ‘economic mismanage- ment’ for reasons best known to themselves.
Africans, in their warped view, are supposed to survive on their haughtily flaunted ‘benevolence’ which they say is ‘aid’ to the poor and suffering people of Africa.
And Trump’s unprovoked attack against South Africa on Sunday was merely an attempt to buttress that unten- able position.
By waving the ‘aid’ card, he is methodically trying to hoodwink the people of South Africa into believing that donations are more important than ownership of their natural resources.
That ticket has been used to near maxi- mum perfection by successive US ambas- sadors to Zimbabwe to manipulate the masses who are told that Uncle Sam has ‘donated’ US$5 billion to Harare since April 18 1980 and, as such, ‘cares’ more about them than their Government which availed innumerable empowerment op- portunities to them.
Those opportunities, according to Un- cle Sam, are nothing more than vote buy- ing tactics by the ruling ZANU PF while the US’ feigned affection must be taken as concern for their ‘well-being’.
Therein lies the problem for the ANC.
In the absence of structured support for incoming new black farmers, coupled with the sanctions that are coming their way, the West will unleash crude propa- ganda against both the ANC and black farmers.
We repeat: South Africans must be vigilant and never relent from doing that which is good for them.
They should not be railroaded into the bed of fear.
And the current picture is not in any way rosy for them.
According to a 2022 report by the World Economic Lab organisation, a mere 10 percent of South Africa’s elite own and control 85 percent of that coun- try’s wealth with the bottom 50 percent having no wealth and wallowing in un- precedented poverty.
The report goes on to state that white South Africans, who constitute less than eight percent of that country’s 64 million population, own and control more than
80 percent of what is termed as ‘privately held wealth’.
In contrast, black South Africans, who make up over 80 percent of the popu- lation, own less than 10 percent of the country’s total wealth.
It is those whites who Trump claimed were being treated very badly for refusing to share the country’s wealth with the others.
“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” Trump claimed in a post.
“The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed.”
South Africa received US$440 million in 2023 but its relationship with the
US has soured recently over differences on Uncle Sam’s reckless foreign policy across the globe.
But these threats, and the impending cutting off of funding to South Africa brings us to what we have been saying over the years; that Africans must unite in exploring and exploiting their resourc- es.
The so-called aid has done little to change the lives of the masses compared to policies and programmes such as land reform and economic empowerment, among others.
Zimbabwe has successfully embarked on those programmes and the results are there for all to see — an economically em- powered citizenry which can defend and protect its country against hostile foreign and local elements.
Let those with ears listen.
