IN a meeting with the United States of America’s Embassy in Pretoria this week, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, conveyed the unhappiness of the people and the government of South Africa – following a tweet by President Donald J. Trump.

“The US Charge d’Affaires was informed to convey to Washington that Pretoria is disappointed about Washington’s failure to use the available diplomatic channels,” said DIRCO.

On Wednesday night, Trump tweeted:

I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. “South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers.” @TuckerCarlson @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2018

Read also: The New York Times denounces “Trump’s vile ploy on South Africa”

Sisulu said Trump’s tweet was “based on false information and lobbying by certain South African lobby groups that seek to derail and frustrate the land redistribution programme”.

DIRCO urged the Charge d’Affaires to indicate to Washington that the people of South Africa, of all races, are working together through Parliament and other legal platforms to find a solution to this historic challenge and that President Trump’s tweet serves only to polarize debate on this sensitive and crucial matter.

“The government of South Africa wishes to caution against alarmist, false, inaccurate and misinformed, as well as – in some cases – politically-motivated statements that do not reflect the policies and intentions of the South African government,” said DIRCO.

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