🎬Sweaty palms

GEOPOLITICS
Trump’s cabinet appointments are causing sweaty palms

This week’s bevy of cabinet appointments by President-elect Donald Trump has caused its fair share of havoc both at home and abroad, especially with Pretoria’s cozy ties to China and Russia and its criticism of Israel potentially putting it in Republican’s crosshairs.

In one of his first cabinet picks, Trump on Monday tapped Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, as his Ambassador to the UN. She is well known for her ties to Israel and her petitions against South Africa in their case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Many critics believe she will block the UN initiative to have two permanent seats for Africa at the UN Security Council; South Africa has been vying for one of those seats.

His other appointees include:

• Michael Waltz as national security adviser. He’s known to have advocated for a review and possible severance of US ties to South Africa.

• Marco Rubio, who will be replacing Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. Last month, he condemned South Africa’s ousting of Taiwan’s diplomatic office from Pretoria, calling it a “grave mistake”.

“South Africa’s deference to US rivals, especially their participation in BRICS - is not going unnoticed,” says Peter Pham, a Republican widely touted to be appointed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

The effect is widespread. Yesterday on X, the German top-tier football club, St. Pauli announced its departure from the platform, following the footsteps of many liberals who are increasingly concerned about Trump’s administrative and cabinet choices. Several other heads of state, however, have lauded Trump’s cabinet picks.

Balancing things out. Trump’s cabinet also features more conservative appointees who are unlikely to disrupt ties with a powerful African presence like South Africa. Like Rubio, who previously introduced legislation in the Senate requiring a two-thirds vote for Trump to pull out of NATO, an impossible hurdle to clear. -EA

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NEWS
Round the continent

• South Africa's government says it will not help an estimated 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.

• Chad has become the latest African nation to approve satellite internet provider Starlink to operate in the country, after three years of negotiations.

• Dawit Isaak, the world’s longest-detained journalist who has been held in Eritrea without trial for 23 years, won a Swedish human rights prize for his commitment to freedom of expression.

• Nigeria has signed a $1.2 billion contract with Chinese state-owned engineering firm CNCEC to revive a gas processing plant at a moribund aluminum smelter.