President Cyril Ramaphosa struck an upbeat tone before a meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump, which the South African leader hopes will repair frayed ties between the countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramaphosa is in the US capital to \u201creset and revitalize\u201d connections with South Africa\u2019s biggest trading partner after China, his office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe invest in the United States and they invest in us, and we want to strengthen those relations, and we want to consolidate good relations between our two countries, so I\u2019m very positive,\u201d Ramaphosa told reporters as he arrived at the South African Embassy in Washington on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The trade relations between South Africa and the United States will be the focus of my working visit here. We aim to strengthen and consolidate relations between our two countries,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ahead of Ramaphosa and Trump\u2019s meeting Wednesday, South Africa\u2019s government plans to offer Pretoria-born billionaire Elon Musk \u2014 a Trump ally \u2014 a workaround of local Black-ownership laws for his Starlink internet service to operate in the country, aiming to ease tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked if South Africa was at risk of making too many concessions to reach a trade deal for its automotive, critical-mineral and agricultural industries, Ramaphosa said that wasn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe preserve our sovereignty and we will always do what is best for South Africans,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are going to have an opportunity to discuss geopolitical issues, not only Israel, but also Ukraine, and all these matters will be on the table for proper discussion, and we are very rational when it comes to discussing global and geopolitical matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the politicians accompanying Ramaphosa on the visit is John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance and agriculture minister in the coalition government formed last year after May elections failed to produce an outright winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is not a jolly hockey-sticks tour of us saying there\u2019s nothing to see in South Africa and everything is fine,\u201d he told Newzroom Afrika in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know we\u2019ve got a crime problem. We know we\u2019ve got a land issue. We know we\u2019ve got an economy that\u2019s not growing. But I\u2019m here to be solution-oriented and not just stand on the sidelines throwing stones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has criticized a law that gives the government the power to take land for a public purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The act is similar to US eminent-domain laws \u2014 though the legislation in South Africa allows for expropriation without compensation in certain cases such as land that\u2019s been abandoned and state-owned property not in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, the government hasn\u2019t seized any land, though millions of people have taken occupation of private and state property \u2014 official data show that about 12% of households are situated in informal settlements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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