AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel says US President Donald Trump is correct about the confiscation of land in South Africa.

Speaking in an interview with SABC Political Editor Mzwandile Mbeje, Kriel accused the government of being complicit in land grabs.

“We are seeing land grabs by people in Bloemfontein. There is an example where that was investigated by ANC councillors,” says Kriel.

Asked whether that was state-sponsored, Kriel responded, “Indirectly in the sense that the state makes it easier in the form of legislation. The police in many of these cases don’t act.”

Kriel says the “failure” of the government to empower the police to prevent landgrabs makes the government complicit.

“Well, I think that government is complicit in that they should ensure that the police act and then they should support efforts to resolve this. Now, landowners have to go to court at their own expense,” he says.

The misinformation regarding land grabs has led to Trump issuing an order for the withdrawal of financial aid to South Africa pending investigation.

Meanwhile, AfriForum says it will be visiting the US soon on a what it describes as a mission to salvage the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), according to Kriel.

Kriel’s comments follow the issuing of an executive order by the US president, withdrawing financial aid for South Africa based on misinformation, that white-owned land is being grabbed by government.

Amongst other effects, the US order has seen a nearly 20% shortfall in funding for South Africa’s HIV/Aids prevention programme.

Kriel says the US cancelling AGOA, which allows preferential treatment of South African assembled vehicles and produce into the US market, will hurt all citizens.

Trump has also offered Afrikaners refugee asylum in the US.

“We need to speak to the US in the interests of all in this country and it is AGOA and Pepfar. We know Pepfar is people with HIV/Aids; we know AGOA has a huge effect on the farming communities or benefit to factories and factory workers and what the US says in respect of AGOA is that if you are going to abuse human rights, if you are not going to respect property rights and you are going to act against the interests of the US, you are going to lose that. So, our effort is to save AGOA by saying to the US tell South Africa they are contravening this,” he explains.

However, Kriel says they are loyal to South Africa and will not accept Trump’s refugee offer.