South Africa’s DIRCO Meeting US Embassy Officials Over Trump’s ‘Sh*thole’ Comments

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is meeting Monday with officials from the Embassy of the United States of America in Pretoria, following the recent disturbing comments attributed to President Donald Trump.

DIRCO said it will provide an opportunity to the Charges de Affaires (the second in charge) to explain the statement by President Trump, where he reportedly used expletives to describe African countries, alongside Haiti and El Savador, “whose nationals are undesirable migrants into the United States”.

The department said it has noted President Trump’s tweet on Friday in which he denied making the crude and offensive statement.

DIRCO has noted further that President Trump’s denial was not categorical, referring only to Haiti and not addressing the entirety of the statement attributed to him.

“South Africa aligns itself with the statements issued by the African Union and the Africa group of Ambassadors to the United Nations in New York. Africa is united in its affirmation of the dignity of the people of Africa and the African diaspora.

“Relations between South Africa and the United States, and between the rest of Africa and the United States, must be based on mutual respect and understanding,” DIRCO said.

Source: SAnews.gov.za