Warning by world powers proves Ramaphosa cannot mislead them regarding property rights and crime

4 February 2019

The warning sent by the USA, UK, Germany, France and Switzerland by memorandum addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the threat posed to foreign investment by crime, uncertainty about property rights and corruption, according to AfriForum is the strongest indication to date that the international community is not being misled by the beautiful image portrayed by Ramaphosa. In contrast, Ramaphosa is locally openly indicating that expropriation without compensation is a given, and little is being done to ensure that perpetrators of corruption and violent crime will end up behind bars. The abovementioned five world powers voicing their concerns in this regard to Ramaphosa by means of a joint memorandum, represent the origin of 75% of foreign direct investment in South Africa.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, expressed the hope that Ramaphosa will now realise that he is playing with fire by allowing himself to be manipulated, for the sake of his own position in the ANC, to display a disrespect for property rights, to tolerate the corrupt within the ranks of ANC, and to display insensitivity regarding the farm murder crisis and hate speech perpetrated in the country.

Kriel emphasised that his organisation would continue at full steam with its campaign to inform the international community regarding the threats posed by expropriation without compensation, corruption and violent crime such as farm murders, until the government abandons its current position of disrespect for property rights and makes serious efforts to ensure that criminals end up behind bars.

Issued by Hesti Steenkamp, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 4 February 2019