Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola has condemned the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and urged Americans “not to solve their problems through the barrel of a gun”.
Addressing the Chatham House think tank in London on Tuesday, he said “they must solve it through the barrel of the pen, in the ballot box”.
He said Pretoria would engage with the winner of the fiercely contested election. Lamola noted that a high-level government delegation is in Washington DC to engage with both Republicans and Democrats and would continue to engage with US lawmakers to ensure South Africa continued to participate in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The US ambassador to South Africa has also condemned the assassination attempt, reiterating President Joe Biden's call to “turn down the temperature” during the election campaign. “We condemn it categorically, and we mourn for those who were killed and injured in that assault,” Reuben Brigety said.
And Rory Steyn, Nelson Mandela’s former chief bodyguard, expressed relief that the assassination attempt was unsuccessful. “Thank God he wasn’t killed,” Steyn said.
-0- PANA CU/MA 17June2024
