(Ret.) Col. Chris Wyatt: Trump will 'Zelensky' Cyril & issues warning for Afrikaners “refugees” amid rising racial tensions...

As strained relations between South Africa and the United States continue to hog the headlines, US Intelligence Analyst retired Colonel Chris Wyatt warns that President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to cut a deal with President Donald Trump to repair the discord. “I think that he's going to have to make some kind of concession vis-a-vis Afrikaners or minority South Africans of some sort.” However, that could cost Ramaphosa support in his own party. “I think that Ramaphosa is in a difficult spot and I can't wait to see what comes from this conversation between Trump and Ramaphosa because it could go well, it could be a disaster or it could be a complete disaster and I'm concerned that we might be a complete disaster. If Ramaphosa goes to America and tries to lecture Trump, he'll be shown the door like Zelensky was.” Meanwhile, Wyatt also warns Afrikaners who want to gain refugee status in America, to keep quiet about their plans. “…there are people with malicious intent on the left and the right politically in South Africa who are not happy about this refugee programme, Afrikaners who don't like it and others on the other side of spectrum who don’t like it. So my advice to those people is to shut your mouths, loose lips, sink ships, World War II phrase…you have to have what we call operational security in the military.” Wyatt further describes the unprecedented racial tension he has witnessed on his latest visit to South Africa. “This whole situation with the refugee programme causing all kinds of consternation and it's emboldening people. But it's not just the refugee programme. In my view, it's also the expropriation without compensation.”.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here:.Listen here:.Edited transcript of the interview.Chris Steyn (00:03.09)The strained relationship between South Africa and the United States continues to hog the headlines. We speak to US Intelligence Analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt. Welcome, Colonel. Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (00:18.606)Chris, good morning. Boy, you hit that nail on the head. The strained relationship between Pretoria and Washington is indeed one. I'm doing my best to make videos to encourage the government of South Africa to improve relations. And I know they're watching the videos, but I don't think they're listening. Chris Steyn (00:33.256)Well, there is an upcoming face-to-face meeting between your president Donald Trump and ours, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa. How do you think that meeting is likely to go? Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (00:46.604)Well, I hope that someone that has some good sense briefs President Ramaphosa because it can go very well. But I'm concerned it won't go well. If President Ramaphosa goes to Trump and starts with a, you know, well, you're misunderstanding what's happening in South Africa. Nothing's happening. Nobody’s… that's not going to fly. If I were President Ramaphosa and I went to Washington, I think I have a good meeting because this is what I do. President Trump, congratulations again on your victory. Very excited for your term. Let me ask you this. What can we do to repair this relationship? We want to fix this relationship. We view the United States as one of our most important trading partners and one of the most important partners that helped us over the years with aid, helping us with HIV. What can we do to fix this? We want to fix it. But I don't think President Ramaphosa will go with that approach. That approach will win him a lot of friends and Trump will listen. But if he goes and tries to preach to Trump like the politicians have been doing in South Africa the past several weeks, it's not going to fly. Chris Steyn (01:42.118)What would it take to convince Trump to change his attitude towards South Africa? Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (01:49.582)Oh, that's a good question. And that's maybe the $64,000 question. Who's inside Trump's head? It's not Elon Musk. It's not Joel Pollak. It's not Twatterbaas despite the assertions of a certain media publication in this country. I think what you have to do to change Trump's opinion is just make a deal. I mean, all you have to do is read his book, The Art of the Deal. He's all about making deals. That's what Trump is, he is transactional. He's always been transactional. If you offer him something, he'll give you something in return. Maybe a gesture of good faith, like getting rid of the ridiculous restrictions on pork imports from the United States that are outrageous and are clearly intended to keep us out of the pork market here. It's not that important to the U.S. economy, but something like that might go a long way. I mean, I think that's very important. Also, he could make the argument that South Africa's car exports to the U.S. really don't harm the U.S. market. These are cars that wouldn't have been built in America anyway. So how about, you know, we'll give you something so we get rid of that tariff, which is critical. That's going to cost a lot of jobs in South Africa if that 25 percent tariff is alleviated. So I think that Ramaphosa has to offer something. Now I think where you're going with this, and if you're not, I know others are going this direction, does he have to concede something on the race-based laws? Does he have to concede something about Afrikaners? I suspect he'll have to. Trump is not happy. He's angry and he's right to be angry. South Africa is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Expropriation Without Compensation is a clear violation of human rights that they've agreed to. It's also a clear violation of Section 25 of South Africa's Constitution. And Trump is all about the law. Despite what the media says, he's not rogue, he's not against law. Every time a court has ruled against him in his first term, he adhered to the court until the appeal overturned it. Or if it didn't, he moved on. So I think that he's going to have to make some kind of concession vis-a-vis Afrikaners or minority South Africans of some sort. If it's just a gesture, it might go somewhere, but something concrete could really repair this relationship in a hurry. Chris Steyn (03:41.416)Do you think President Ramaphosa has the courage, the backbone to make a deal that will not be popular with all factions in the African National Congress? Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (03:52.814)That is the very good question to ask, Chris. You’re certainly ready with the good questions today. Yeah, I think Ramaphosa is in a very tough spot. Reminds me a lot of John Steenhuisen. He's also in a tough spot. Steenhuisen is the leader of a political party. He's got a constituency of voters and members of his party and a caucus that he has to answer to and lead while he also has to answer to the President of Republic which is a very different responsibility. Pieter Groenewald stepped aside and didn't run for re-election for the Freedom Front Plus for that very reason and I think that party is being run better now not because Corné Mulder is better but because because the duties are divided. Steenhuisen is in difficult spot, as is Ramaphosa. His party is fractured in so many ways, the Radical Economic Transformation faction, the rise of MK as a consequence of Zuma’s popularity in KZN and elsewhere. And he's got backbenchers who are not happy with what he has to say. There are people in the ANC who are acting out of the norm. What I would say about the African National Congress since 1994 is that historically, since that date, they've been very good at controlling members of their party with discipline out of turn or out of out of school. But the things that are going on now, especially in Gauteng, in the municipal council and the provincial legislature, the ANC has clearly got people running rogue and Ramaphosa faces that challenge. So if he does concede something, it might be a problem for him. And that's why I think that Ramaphosa is in a very, very difficult spot politically, both domestically and internationally. The problem with the ANC is their arrogance for so long. They had a chance to right this ship, had a chance not to insult or undermine the national affairs of the United States, but they simply ignored it. Because for 30 years, people looked the other way. Oh, it’s the Rainbow Nation, April 27th, 1994. Everything is wonderful. Reconciliation is all going so well. Madiba, the Rainbow, no, no. The ANC has problems and has had problems since at least 2008, if not sooner. And they've gotten away with the international community simply looking the other direction. Well, that day is over and the ANC wasn't prepared for that. And now Ramaphosa has a fight inside his party because he's never been very popular there anyway. He barely won the presidency in 2017 when…he barely beat Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma by 70 votes, but you take 36 votes the other way and she wins. So he's never been popular, so he's always been walking a tightrope and you saw in his first administration where most of his cabinet were Zuma stalwarts who were ministers, were members of the cabinet. Cabinet ministers, they shouldn't have been there, he should have his own people. Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (06:21.295)So I think that Ramaphosa is a difficult spot and I can't wait to see what comes from this conversation between Trump and Ramaphosa because it could go well, it could be a disaster or it could be a complete disaster and I'm concerned that we might have a complete disaster. If Ramaphosa goes to America and tries to lecture Trump, he'll be shown the door like Zelensky was. Chris Steyn (06:41.948)Meanwhile, let's go to that controversial Afrikaner Refugee Programme. So many rumoors swirling about that…What have you heard, Chris? Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (06:56.693)Well…you are really coming with the good questions today, Chris. I see why you're working at BizNews. Let's see. There are lot of rumours. In fact, some people who are blabbermouths are running around claiming that they're leaving for America. They've had second and third interviews and they've had medical examinations and they'll be soon flying to America. That may very well be the case, but it's also not a very smart idea. The reason I say that is there are people with malicious intent on the left and the right politically in South Africa who are not happy about this refugee programme. Afrikaners who don't like it and others on the other side of spectrum who don’t like it. So my advice to those people is to shut your mouths, loose lips, sink ships, World War II phrase. You know, you have to have what we call operational security in the military. So what I can tell you is that I'm aware of some of these people, I'm in contact with some of these people. And what you're hearing, there's truth to a lot of it. But I really can't say much more than that, because I have to protect people's identity as sources. And beyond that, I also have to protect their safety. Because if you imagine, let's just do a what if, Chris. OK, let's do it. Let's say I'm an Afrikaner; I guess I look kind of like one today wearing my K-Way shirt. But let's say I'm an Afrikaner, I got the De la Rey beard. So let's say I'm an Afrikaner and I want to take the US refugee offer. And so I've gone through an interview, I've done the medical exam, I've done everything and they tell me you're leaving this Sunday. Wow! Okay, so all right, I have no time to get my fares in order, I'm on a plane. And so then I go on Twitter and tell everybody, hey I'm leaving, I'm the first one to go. Yeah, hey guys, I'm leaving OR Tambo at 11 o'clock on Sunday. Guess what's going to happen at OR Tambo? Total chaos, total chaos and people's public safety, including general members of the public who are trying to fly that day. It's not something people should be talking about until it actually happens. And once it actually happens, and if people actually go to the States and in the States, they want to talk about it then, then it makes sense. But for the short term, it's not a wise idea. But I can tell you that in fact, there are people who are claiming that they are not all that far from potential, you know, going to America. And if and when we get that news, I'll be happy to come on BizNews and relate what I did know and what I do know….Read more:.Frans Cronjé: VAT fracas means politics-of-power in, cupcakes out. SA will move ahead at last.Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (08:56.687)…as we go forward. I think that's fair. Chris Steyn (09:00.55)Meanwhile, Chris, as a regular visitor to South Africa, what are the biggest takeaways from your last visit? Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (09:09.025)Well, my visits to South Africa, I've noticed that there's a lot of tension here, a lot of tension. What shocked me is the tension in Western Cape. Look, I've been to Western Cape many, many, times and I meet with Coloured folks. I meet with white English speakers and with Afrikaners all over on the West Coast, down on the South, Hermanus, you know, in the Cederburg, the wine country, all over in Khayelitsha, in the Cape Flats, not many Afrikaners here, but a lot of folks. So I go all over, Mannenberg, and I've never, ever seen this kind of racial tension that's happening now. Anecdotal stories of people coming to my meet-and-greets who tell me the things they've been accosted with with, walking out with their infant to a parking lot at a Pick ‘n Pay and being accosted by someone of a different skin colour, threatening them, demanding the keys to their car saying, why aren't you already in America? This whole situation with refugee programme causing all kinds of consternation and it's emboldening people. But it's not just the refugee programme. In my view, it's also the expropriation without compensation, the lies about land in this country. The biggest lie, of course, being that white South Africans own 72% of the land. That's factually incorrect. People need only read the government's 2017 land audit, which is the most recent data in that there were: 126 million hectares of land in South Africa. 93 million at that time were privately owned. Of that 36 million were designated agricultural. Of that, 72% were owned by white South Africans, according to the government. That's about 23% of the surface area, or 23% of the private area, 21% of the total surface area of the country. That is not 72% of the land - and was 8% of the population. And much of that land has changed hands since then. So the figure's likely to be even lower for land owned by white South Africans. This is a lie spread by people in politics to divide society, create racial tension, and create class envy. And that's a real problem. We see a lot of that. I've seen a lot of tension. I've been to the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, and KZN, and I'm seeing it everywhere. Now, not to me. Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (11:04.833)White South Africans, Black South Africans, Khoisan, Coloureds that I've met have been very friendly and kind to me. Everyone I met has been wonderful. Well, I've received some threats online and I've received some messages threatened from politicians and also from some South Africans, but these are hate wankers and people that really don't need to be listened to. But the South African on the street has been wonderfully accommodating. And for all the failures of South Africa, I've seen many things running normally and well, which is in some ways a bit of a surprise because it's been a year since my last visit that I came for the elections last year normally I come every six months and that's a bigger gap and I expected to see more decline because over the past three years every six months I come and things are worse everywhere this time infrastructure doesn't seem to be worse than last year so far but I've yet to get to Gauteng so don't hold me to it; it might be different when I get to Gauteng. Chris Steyn (12:00.954)Okay, Chris. Lastly, what message would you give to the Government of National Unity? A government that has faced a great deal of disunity in recent months. Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (12:18.241)Well, if the politicians of the Government of National Unity are inclined to listen to me, this is my advice. Look to Europe. Not that I love Europe, I spent a third of my life there, but coalition governments are the norm in Europe. And coalition partners do not act like the big bully when they have a plurality of votes, they act like a partner. You should work together. And just because one of your coalition partners disagrees with a policy doesn't mean they should not be part of the coalition. You can find common ground. All South Africans in the Government of National Unity should be focused, laser focused on job creation and the elimination of race-based laws that harm this country and harm all citizens. That's what they should be focused on. Not this distractionary things about let's silence and censor free speech of podcasters. Let's say that it's okay to kill people with songs. No, let's focus on job creation. And you get job creation by encouraging foreign direct investment into your economy. And you do that by getting rid of stupid rules that require foreign direct investors to divest part of their equity and give it to people based on skin pigmentation, the dumbest concept on the planet. Let's invest with people who have the talent. If they're black, fantastic. If they're Coloured, fantastic. If they're white, they're fantastic. I don't care. I want the best business partner. I want to be able to operate my business here and invest. That's how this economy will grow. It will not grow with the stupid laws that are in place now, which are meant to enrich cadres and a small coterie of elites in this country. So my advice to GNU is to work together and realise that, by the way, this concept of the ANC wanting to kick the DA out of the Government of National Unity, that is ludicrous - it's an agreement between the DA and the ANC. It was the ANC that went behind the DA's back and invited eight other parties to join it, which is illegitimate. Those parties should all fall off in my view. They shouldn't be part of the government. Sit in opposition. They can have ministers like Gayton McKenzie from PA can be a minister and stay there. But this is an agreement between the DA and the ANC. They need to sort it out. They need to come up with terms for adjudicating disputes between the two parties. If they can work together, South Africa has a chance to prosper. If they can't work together, then the coalition… Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (14:26.691)…should end and the ANC will rule as a plurality party in parliament and not be able to pass anything. And to be honest, I don't have a major problem with that because if a political party can't pass legislation, that means they can't rob you, Chris, of your individual liberties and people can be freer. Chris Steyn (14:43.152)Indeed. Thank you. was U.S. Intelligence Analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt speaking to BizNews. And I'm Chris Steyn. Thank you, Chris. Col. (Ret) Chris Wyatt (14:53.922)You're very welcome, Chris. Have a lovely day in South Africa.

(Ret.) Col. Chris Wyatt: Trump will 'Zelensky' Cyril & issues warning for Afrikaners “refugees” amid rising racial tensions...

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