ActionSA notes with concern the reckless remarks made by US President Donald Trump threatening punitive measures against South Africa for what he claims to be widespread land confiscations and human rights violations.

There can be no disputing the fact that the failures of the South African government are well documented and continue to manifest in much human suffering in our country. However, the claims of and confiscations and human rights violations on which Trump based his remarks are without foundation. This reflects a real concern about the counsel the US President is receiving.

These challenges are of our making as a country with a complex history of oppression followed by 30 years of misgovernance by the ANC that has deepened inequality. The political change that must address these challenges must come from within our country, from South Africans who determine their own future.

Given the role that the US President plays in global affairs, it must be incumbent upon President Trump to receive more balanced counsel on matters pertaining to South Africa. As South Africans we take our hard-won sovereignty very seriously and do not appreciate clumsy attempts to change our country based on the agendas of those around the President