South Africa’s Head of Public Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, expressed his view that a Donald Trump presidency would be more advantageous for South Africa than a Kamala Harris victory.
Story Summary:
- DIRCO’s Public Diplomacy Head, Clayson Monyela, argued that historically, South Africa has enjoyed stronger relations with the US under Republican leadership.
- Monyela highlighted initiatives like PEPFAR, introduced under President George W. Bush, as a model of effective US-SA cooperation in addressing health crises.
- Fact-checking of Monyela’s claims reveals both support and criticism of US-Africa relations under recent Republican administrations, especially in areas like trade and health.
DIRCO’s Head of Public Diplomacy says SA prefers Trump over Harris
Monyela pointed to the Republican Party’s historical support for foreign aid, specifically in health initiatives, as evidence of the benefits of Republican leadership.
In a social media post, Monyela referenced the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program established by former President George W. Bush, as an example of constructive Republican support that has benefited South Africa immensely.
Monyela argued that relations under Trump’s administration were favourable for South Africa, particularly mentioning Trump’s appointment of Lana Marks, a South African-born businesswoman, as US Ambassador to South Africa in 2018.
He noted that Marks’ appointment enhanced diplomatic ties, emphasising Trump’s perceived respect and recognition of South Africa’s unique needs within his foreign policy approach.
Fact-check: Republican vs Democratic impact on South Africa
Monyela’s statements draw attention to the role of PEPFAR, which is widely acknowledged for its role in addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa.
Launched in 2003, PEPFAR remains one of the largest US government global health initiatives and has provided crucial health support to millions of South Africans.
This bipartisan program has been supported by multiple US presidents, including Republicans like Bush and Trump, as well as Democrats.
Today, PEPFAR continues its work, offering HIV testing, counselling, and life-saving antiretroviral treatment to millions of South Africans, with support from both parties.
Despite this, foreign policy analysts argue that the recent Republican administrations, particularly Trump’s, have introduced trade challenges for South Africa.
For instance, under Trump’s leadership, there were periodic threats to exclude South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants African nations trade privileges with the US.
Although the exclusion did not occur, it created uncertainty about the future of US-South Africa trade relations.
In contrast, the Democratic Party has generally maintained support for AGOA and similar trade initiatives as a means to strengthen African economies.
Lana Marks’ appointment as US Ambassador by Trump did represent a notable diplomatic nod to South Africa, given her background as an East London-born businesswoman fluent in Xhosa and Afrikaans.
Marks was seen as actively involved in advancing US-South Africa relations.
However, her tenure also came at a time of broader tension between Trump’s administration and African countries due to his controversial statements about the continent, which many perceived as disparaging.
Critics argue that while Trump’s administration facilitated certain high-level engagements, other aspects of his foreign policy distanced African allies.
Brooks Spector, a foreign policy expert at The Daily Maverick, offered a counterpoint to Monyela’s comments, asserting that Harris might support expanded collaboration on key issues affecting South Africa, such as climate change and trade policies.
He also noted Harris’ commitment to programs like AGOA and HIV/AIDS projects that provide critical support to African countries, making her a potentially strong partner for South Africa if elected.
“Trump has an opinion about Africa and African nations that we can’t say on public radio,” Spector said.
At the time of writing, Donald Trump was considered the presumptive US president, as voter counting draws closer to an end on Tuesday.
