US Congressman Andy Ogles has demanded South Africa be expelled from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), claiming the country harbors a deep-seated animosity towards white citizens and supports terrorism.
Ogles’ remarks come in the wake of recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who described South Africa as “a bad place to be right now” and accused the country of expropriating land from white farmers. Trump also announced a halt to US aid to South Africa, citing unfounded allegations of government-led persecution of white citizens.
Trump’s statement follows ongoing tensions between South Africa and Israel, particularly over South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding genocide accusations.
Right-wing groups such as AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement, as well as South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, have supported claims that white South Africans are facing growing discrimination and violence, a view echoed by Trump.
In a tweet, Ogles referred to South Africa as a country that “hates native whites,” “loves terrorists,” and “consists of communists,” further advocating for the revocation of South Africa’s AGOA trade benefits.
Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, doubled down on the allegations, accusing South Africa of unfairly seizing land from long-time white farmers. He also declared the country a “bad place” and pledged to stop all federal funding to South Africa.
Additionally, Trump vowed to expedite pathways for South African farmers seeking to emigrate for safety, offering US citizenship to those fleeing the country’s alleged injustices.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), established in 2000, allows eligible African nations to export certain goods to the US duty-free. Ogles, a Republican and long-time supporter of Trump, has joined the call for South Africa’s expulsion from the program.
Ogles has previously been embroiled in controversy regarding his educational background, having been criticized for falsely claiming to hold an international relations degree. He later admitted his mistake, stating that his degree was in Liberal Studies.
The debate over South Africa’s participation in AGOA is set to intensify as more politicians and groups weigh in on the issue.
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