The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) launched a scathing attack on United States President Donald Trump, describing him as an “unstable and illiterate imperialist”.
The Red Berets rejected the 30% tariffs imposed by the US on South African exports, calling it a deliberate attempt to assert dominance by destabilising weaker economies.
In a strongly worded statement, the party also criticised the South African government, warning that this is not the time for what it termed “sheepish diplomacy.”
EFF SLAMS US PRESIDENT
The EFF said Trump’s “reckless and irrational” tariffs are rooted in a misguided understanding of global trade. The party said the US president poses a serious threat to global economic stability.
In the statement, the party also said Trump is a danger to humanity and called for progressive forces across the world to unite and support efforts to remove him from office. The EFF also added that the world has suffered under Trump’s rule for too long, calling him a dictator.
The statement drew attention to EFF leader Julius Malema’s political history. In 2012, he was expelled from the African National Congress (ANC) for calling then-president Jacob Zuma a dictator. Malema had earlier been suspended after being found guilty on three charges, including bringing the ANC into disrepute for advocating regime change in Botswana.
ANC ACCUSED OF CREATING DYSFUNCTIONAL ECONOMY
The EFF also accused the ANC-led government of failing to improve the country’s economy since the end of apartheid.
“Without resolving domestic structural constraints, our country will always be at the mercy of dominant imperial powers, tossed between competing global interests like a leaf in a storm,” the party said.
Their comments followed remarks by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, who criticised opposition parties for failing to present a united front in response to the US tariff hike.
The new tariffs are set to take effect at 12:01 am on Friday, 8 August.
DO YOU THINK THE EFF’S BOLD STANCE WILL SPARK BACKLASH FROM THE US?
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