Farmers’ organisation adding fuel to the SA-US brawl – experts

Farmers’ organisation TLU SA is stoking the fight between South Africa and the US, according to political experts.

This follows the announcement by TLU SA that it met US department of agriculture representatives on Wednesday in Pretoria.

TLU SA leader Bennie van Zyl confirmed that during the meeting, the impact of the Expropriation Act and the “uncertainty it causes, as well as the reality of farm attacks and murders, were discussed in depth”.

“We handed over statistics on farm attacks and murders to the American representatives and also explained the South African definition of these crimes.”

When asked to comment about allegations of a white genocide in South Africa, Van Zyl did not give a clear response, but said he was concerned about the fact that the court did not rule against the singing of the song “Kill the boer, kill the farmer”.

He also said there was a land grab taking place in South Africa as people were illegally occupying land and the government was not doing anything about it.

Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast condemned TLU SA for engaging with the American representatives, but said nothing could be done to stop those who are badmouthing the country.

“There is nothing the government can do to stop the farmers and those who have told the world that South Africa is oppressing white people,” said Breakfast. “If the government attacks them or takes action against them, it will be a confirmation of the lies that were spread because it will appear as if they are being attacked for speaking out about the alleged oppression.”

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Breakfast said meetings such as that of TLU SA, Solidarity and AfriForum with US government representatives were fuelling rivalry between the two countries. He said the US government has been complicit in that it has given AfriForum and Solidarity an audience to pitch their message to.

“These guys don’t have a coherent position, but the idea is that they want Trump to exert pressure on South Africa to withdraw these transformative policies in relation to land issues and other laws that they don’t want.

“In fact, they see the current situation as a golden opportunity to compel the government to do what they want.

“The only way out is to engage with them and try to have a winwin situation.”

Political expert Goodenough Mashego accused the US agricultural representatives of being unprofessional by operating outside of diplomatic protocol.

“This speaks more to the US than to TLU SA because the organisation has shown itself to be a lobby group and such groups usually do have access to politicians, but only by requesting such meetings with those politicians.

“And all they can do is to lobby politicians and elected officials to influence a government position.

“So, you hardly see lobby groups going out to lobby governments,” said Mashego.

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“But the fact that you’ve got this lobby group of farmers and Afrikaners going to the US and meeting state department officials, you start to wonder what is their official capacity because the US state department is a government institution equivalent to the department of international relations and cooperation in South Africa.

“This means if South Africa and the US are going to have a conversation on any issue related to diplomacy they have to talk at that level.

“There’s nothing South Africa needs to do to try and mend the so-called differences.

“South Africa, as a government, has done nothing that caused the US to act in the way that it’s acting,” he said.

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