Steenhuisen Critiques African Refugees’ Decision to Leave
John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance and a part of the coalition government with the African National Congress (ANC), commented that African refugees leaving for the United States have potentially made a “mistake.” This follows a recent charter flight that brought 49 refugees to the U.S., part of a much larger group of about 70,000 applicants citing fears of racism and possible expropriation.
According to the Sunday Times, Steenhuisen’s remarks were made during discussions surrounding the Agriculture Treaty.
“We can’t dictate how people choose to live their lives. I think they made a mistake,” he stated.
Steenhuisen further emphasized that South Africa hasn’t faced genocide or expropriation without compensation, insisting, “No farms are expropriated without compensation.” He added, “Sure, we do have crime issues, but that impacts all citizens equally. When a key partner like the U.S. makes decisions, it’s vital those are grounded in reality, not fiction.”
Steenhuisen is slated to join President Cyril Ramaphosa in a five-member delegation to the United States this week, where he serves as the Minister of Agriculture.
In his comments, he reiterated the government’s view that any differences between the Trump administration and South Africa stem from “misinformation,” overshadowing the nation’s actual domestic and foreign policies.
Steenhuisen has previously criticized former President Donald Trump but described the upcoming meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump as a valuable chance for Ramaphosa to clarify any misunderstandings about South Africa.
Critics argue that Steenhuisen and the Democratic Alliance have aligned too closely with the ANC and have not done enough to challenge harmful policies like the expropriation law, which allows for property seizures without compensation. This law, signed by Ramaphosa earlier this year, has incited legal challenges from the Democratic Alliance, much to the ANC’s frustration.
Despite these challenges, the DA has managed to propose a budget raising VAT by 2%.
