Businessman and philanthropist Patrice Motsepe has
apologised for his comments about Africa "loving" US President Donald Trump.
“Africa loves America, Africa loves you and it's very
important for America to do well. We want you to do well and the success of
America is the success of the world,” he said at the time.
Motsepe made the comment, which went viral, at a dinner in
Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum. The statement angered many
Africans.
In 2018, US President Donald Trump was accused of referring
to African countries as s***thole countries.
“Why are we having all these people from sh***hole
countries come here?” Trump reportedly said during an Oval Office talk with
several U.S. senators about protecting immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and
African countries.
He later denied having said this.
Motsepe released a statement which reads in part: “My
remarks at the dinner with President Donald Trump were partly aimed at
encouraging discussions between the Trump administration and African political
and business leaders, particularly in the context of the increasing feedback
from certain American political and business leaders that South Africa and some
African countries are anti-America and its political leadership. This perception
has had an impact on our ability to attract foreign investments and create
jobs.”
"I have a duty to listen to these differing views and
would like to apologise. I do not have the right to speak on behalf of anybody
except myself," he said.
The statement goes on to state that fostering relations
with other nations to alleviate high unemployment numbers on the continent and
South Africa in particular, will be beneficial for all and that Motsepe is
committed in fostering such relations.
“A successful, prosperous and growing Africa is good and
beneficial not only to the 1.35-billion people living in Africa but for the
world. Africa and America, to a very large extent, share common values and
principles and have greater mutual interest than the issues or policies on
which they disagree or have different views.
"It is in the interest of South Africa and the rest of
the African continent to build mutually beneficial socio-political, trade,
investment and cultural ties between the economies and people of Africa and
America and Africa and the world. I am committed to continue making a humble
contribution in this regard," the statement reads. - Sowetan
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