Silence at the Donald Trump meeting: South African ministers' role explained
South African ministers' silence during Trump meeting raises eyebrows.
Image: GCIS
In the explosive meeting with US president Donald Trump on Wednesday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola did not talk in the televised portion, much to the disbelief of South Africans who questioned their silence.
An X user asked, "Why were Lamula and Ntshavheni in that delegation? What were they carrying - snacks and emotional support? Or were they there to nod during awkward silences?"
In response, Chrispin Phiri, the spokesperson for Lamola explained the protocols of the high-level diplomatic meetings. He said that they are inherently very unique in nature.
Diplomatic meetings are not held in noisy fashion, Phiri said. He went on to say that the ministers could have only spoken if the president, the leader of the delegation asked them to do so.
"What you saw in the Oval Office is actually just opening remarks; the actual meeting takes place behind closed doors not in the glare of the media. So, in other words once the cameras are gone that is when the meeting starts, in our case the meeting went on for another two hours," Phiri said.
The government has also dismissed a fake X screenshot going around online, purporting to have been posted by Ntshavheni.
Fake X screenshot dismissed by the government.
Image: SA Gov
"We smoked Donald Trump in his own backyard. We taught him a lesson of never being rude and lie to anyone in the future. We responded to the papers he gave our president with factual evidence," the fake post reads.
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