IN my last letter, I indicated that United States President Donald Trump was fast losing his support base and his grasp on power was now disputable.
However, a young wise reader in South Africa, Owen Chikukwa pointed out to me that Trump had survived even more crushing crises before and was likely to survive.
In this letter, I want to illustrate what a Harvard psycho-professor indicated as Trump’s mental deterioration. The statement below could have been written by a moron.
“South Africa, because the South African government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants of …. Dutch, French, and German settlers. To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken away from them,” said Trump on Truth Social on November 27.
The first sentence is a clause, not a sentence. These are basic rules of engagement in any adult debate. The second sentence is factually inaccurate, and hypocritical.
Trump inherited Joe Biden's war in Gaza, perpetuated the mass murders of innocent Arab women, children and innocents by supplying weapons of mass destruction, aiding and abetting the apartheid state of Israel in an ongoing genocide, totaling 100 000 deaths. (Source: Max Plunck Foundation).
To argue otherwise, or to point a finger at South Africa, is not a serious argument.
Trump disinviting South Africa to G-20 summit in 2026 to be held in Miami, without consulting the remaining 19 member states, further illustrates his moronic state of mind.
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The bigger issues.
The former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, argued that a great power must walk softly, while hiding its big stick. The moment the hegemon shows his stick, it loses influence and must, henceforth depend on brutal force alone.
Trump’s African policy, which is closely related to US policy on the Brics countries has backfired spectacularly. Trump suggested that Nigeria allow 50% ownership of Nigerian oil production to US companies in exchange for a US military base in the west African country.
Similarly, in Botswana and Namibia, the natives have woken up to the fact that their diamonds and gold are owned by De-Beers and Anglo-American, based in London.
The Botswana president asked a simple question. Where does it make sense that Botswana, in whose territory the resources are located, is “given a 15 percent share” by De Beers.? The Tswana go to London, “crying” for more shares. Both countries, as indeed the Sahelian federation of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger doing, are in the process of kicking the foreigners out.
This decolonisation has been accelerated because Trump’s massive application of dollar sanctions on Russia, India and Pakistan (some threats not enforced) have shown that dependence on the US dollar is at best risky.
Russia is facing a USD350 billion loss of reserves, largely banked in Belgium, and confiscated by the Trump administration as punishment for the war in the Ukraine.
India, which tried to appease Trump, found itself in a no win situation, with Trump publicly demanding that they stop importing Russian oil.
All these countries are now in rush to find alternative payment systems which by-pass the US dollar in international trade.
Trump’s role is that by bullying foreign countries, he has precipitated an avalanche towards an alternative to the US dollar.
But in fact, the US is losing on a massive scale in trade competition with China, Japan and India. South Africa and Nigeria, fearing US temperamental trade policies, have pivoted more than 55% of their foreign trade towards China.
That is a big blow to US hegemony.
Even in the heavy industry, steel, water reservoirs, mining and heavy equipment transportation (railroads) the US influence is remarkable by its absence.
The Chinese are visible everywhere, beginning at the airports, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lusaka and Harare.
Trump is losing the war on influence on a big scale.
The US attack on Nigeria was three- fold. Nigeria must allow a US 50% stake in oil production and rare earth mineral exploration.
I have just learned that Trump’s allegation related to the persecution of Christians by Boko Haram, a terrorist group funded by Europeans is darker than it appears at first sight. There are whispers that Nigeria should be broken up.
Trump ordered Nigeria to cease and stop forthwith, acceptance of oil payments in non-US dollar currencies. To add insult to injury, Nigeria must allow a US military base and a cyber space spy outfit.
The outrage in not in the demands themselves; they are standard imperialistic modus operandi sometimes secretly wangled through World Bank Development “conditionalities.”
What outraged the Nigerians was the upfront attack on their dignity, “do this or else we send in the marines.”
The matter became a matter of dignity and the US mineral exploration company was taken aback when representatives were met with sallow black faces. Previously, US companies had been met with grinning black faces, especially when US negotiators placed some juicy greenbacks between the “missing pages” in their passports.
Today, it was different.
Trump has shown his big stick-and the Nigerians have refused to budge.
While we were going to press, 29 November, a new development occurred which shows how the Trump world and US hegemony is being challenged on every turn.
Angola and Botswana governments have decided not to continue “negotiations” with De Beers International, an arm of the international economic mafia. They have resolved to throw De Beers out of their countries, with compensation.
We remind our readers of Margaret Thatcher’s wisdom. Walk softly, but never show the big stick.
The world has changed; the only people who are being left behind are the Trumps and their European bed-fellows.
*Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwean patriot. He writes from the US.
