South Africa will defend sovereignty, ANC chair says as tensions with US grow

A senior member of South Africa's ruling ANC party defended the country's sovereignty. Gwede Mantashe stated, "We are a free country. We’re not a province of the United States." He emphasized that South Africa's sovereignty will be protected.

Tensions have risen between South Africa and the US over race relations. President Donald Trump criticized South Africa’s new land expropriation law. He signed an executive order in February, claiming it allows the government to seize land from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa argues that the law promotes equitable access to land. The law does permit land seizure without compensation, but only under specific conditions. Trump's order also suggested that Afrikaners could be admitted to the US as refugees.

Mantashe spoke at South Africa's Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga. He criticized citizens who urged Trump to "punish" South Africa. He remarked, "Now they are told to go there and be refugees; they are refusing."

Tensions have also surfaced on Elon Musk’s X page, where he called ownership laws "racist." Despite apartheid ending decades ago, white South Africans still own most private land and wealth.

To address ongoing tensions, South Africa appointed a special envoy to Washington earlier this month. Mcebisi Jonas will focus on diplomatic and trade priorities for the country. This decision follows the expulsion of ambassador Ebrahim Rasool by Washington after his comments about Trump.

Last month, officials from Orania visited the US seeking recognition as an autonomous state. Orania is an all-white separatist town founded by Afrikaners post-apartheid. In his speech, Mantashe proposed integrating communities in Orania.

He stated, "Black people must go and build there, and we mix them." Mantashe concluded that “hatred can never survive peace.” Peace is essential for nation-building.