Can U.S. and South African Officials Move Past Trump’s Latest Provocation?

Can U.S. and South African Officials Move Past Trump’s Latest Provocation?
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa looks on during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 26, 2018 (AP photo by Themba Hadebe).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, WPR Senior Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past.”

That was the government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, responding to a surprise provocation from U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night. After apparently watching an “investigation” by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson into South Africa’s plans for land reform, Trump announced on Twitter that he had ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers.”

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