South Africa could stop supplying raw materials to the US if Washington threatens sanctions and cuts off funding, South Africa’s Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said at the opening of Africa's largest mining conference in Cape Town.
“If they don’t give us money, let’s not give them minerals,” he stated.
Mantashe argued that the US takes the continent's minerals while simultaneously claiming to withhold funding. He said that South Africans have valuable resources and "are not just beggars."
The day before, US President Donald Trump threatened to halt funding to South Africa pending an investigation into land confiscation and mistreatment of "certain classes of people." In response, the South African presidential administration stated that Cyril Ramaphosa anticipates discussing matters of mutual concern with President Trump.