Donald Trump's Aid Cut A 'wake-up Call' For South Africa: Mashatile

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says US President Donald Trump s recent decision to cut aid to South Africa should be a wake-up call for the country to develop sustainable healthcare solutions independent of external influences.
Trump announced the cut in an executive order signed in February. It has affected funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PEPFAR activities in South Africa.
Paul Mashatile on Donald Trum b Speaking at the BizNews Conference in the Western Cape on Thursday 13 March, Mashatile said the decision was quite regrettable.
PEPFAR has been a key component of global health since it was founded by President George W. Bush in 2003, who was from the Republican party, just like President Trump, he said.
The withdrawal of PEPFAR funding highlights the urgent need for South Africa to further strengthen its own interventions to reach the most vulnerable and access health services and support.
US-South Africa relations have been strained in recent weeks. Some US lawmakers have called on the Trump administration to revoke South Africas membership of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act AGOA, claiming Pretoria is acting against US interests with regard to Israel and Iran.
AGOA grants specified South African products duty-free access to the US market.
The loss of AGOA benefits would have the most devastating effect on South African farmers and agriculture workers, Mashatile said.
AGOA is presently providing support to South Africas agriculture and manufacturing sectors, which is expected to generate around 21 billion around R382 billion in trade with the United States.