MAGA Is BEE in Reverse: The United States Has No Business Lecturing South Africa on Race and Economic Preference
Shabodien Roomanay argues that Washington’s criticism of South Africa’s race-conscious economic policies is undermined by America’s own use of tariffs, industrial policy and “America First” economic nationalism.
It is ironic that the United States lectures South Africa on race, economic preference, and minority treatment. The Trump administration accuses South Africa of racial discrimination against Afrikaners, condemns Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and attacks land-reform policies. Washington has also imposed new visa restrictions on South Africans, alleging they support discriminatory policies.
In response, Pretoria has rejected the accusations as a distortion of South Africa’s post-apartheid transformation project and insisted on its right to legislate for its citizens.
The question for Washington is whether its policy of MAGA (Make America Great Again), a form of economic nationalism, is any different from BEE, which deliberately favors South Africa’s historically disadvantaged citizens. Both policies utilize economic policy to benefit a specific group within their respective countries.
MAGA, in essence, aims to favor American workers and companies, while BEE seeks to broaden Black participation in an economy shaped by white ownership from apartheid. Both methods deliberately alter economic outcomes to favor the respective nations. Thus, MAGA and BEE share more similarities than the US would like to acknowledge.
Another troubling aspect of this dispute is the manner in which the US is handling it. The US has a history of racial disparities and its own struggles with race. It has 66 Black members in the 119th Congress, representing about 12.2% of the voting membership, which is now broadly proportional to the U.S. population. However, the broader congressional picture remains disproportionately White.
South Africa, on the other hand, is trying to address the economic consequences of apartheid. The US criticizes South Africa’s BEE policy as racial discrimination, but it itself uses tariffs and other interventionist measures to favor American industries and workers. This double standard highlights the inconsistency in the US's approach to race and economic preference.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
