No rush to send envoys to US to correct disinformation about SA, says Ramaphosa

CAPE TOWN -  President Cyril Ramaphosa says there’s no rush just yet to send envoys to the United States (US) to correct misperceptions and misinformation about the country. 

He says South Africa still regards the u-s as a strategic trading partner - which equally stands to lose if it pulls the plug on a preferential trade agreement with African countries under its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Answering questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said government viewed the Trump administration decision-making as transactional in nature. 

“We do derive value from AGOA, but we also give value. We export, but we also import from the United States. So it’s a two-way process, as it is with many other countries around the world. As it is now, we continue, not only in anticipation of an AGOA initiative, but we continue to expand our export markets for.”

Ramaphosa says in time government will send its representatives to engage with the US under the rubric of its foreign policy - and not through organisations like AfriForum and Solidarity, which he views as unpatriotic for disseminating misinformation. 

“Other people who keep going hither and thither in the end don’t represent South Africa, South Africa is represented by the executive of South Africa.

“So be rest assured we will be following through. The mandate we have in terms of our constitution is to ensure that what we do in relation to other countries, advances the interests of South Africa,”  said the first citizen.