SOUTH Africa has summoned the US’ senior diplomat in the capital Pretoria over Donald Trump’s recent disparaging comments about African nations and Haiti.
Trump has been accused of describing African nations as “shithole countries” during a meeting with US senators last week.
He has denied making the statements, as well as dismissing accusations that he is racist.
South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday it would call on the US Charge d’Affaires to provide an opportunity “to explain the statement that African countries constitute ‘shitholes’ from where migrants into the [US] are undesirable”.
The US embassy confirmed receipt of the South African government’s request and said that relations between South Africa and the US must be based on mutual respect.
Yesterday Trump defended himself in the wake of the disparaging comments, declaring that “I am not a racist”.
Trump addressed the issue briefly as he arrived for dinner at his private golf club with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.
Asked what he thinks about people who think he is racist, Trump said, “No, No. I am not a racist.” He told reporters: “I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you.”
Trump also denied making the statements attributed to him, but avoided specifics about what he did or did not say.
“Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments?” he asked. “They weren’t made.”
Trump stands accused of using the word “shithole” to describe African countries during an Oval Office meeting last Thursday with a bipartisan group of six senators. The president also questioned the need to admit more Haitians to the US, according to people who were briefed on the conversation but were not authorised to describe the meeting publicly.
Trump also said in the meeting that he would prefer immigrants from countries like Norway instead. The White House has not denied Trump said “shithole” though Trump has already pushed back on some depictions of the meeting.
A confidant of Trump’s said the president spent Thursday calling friends and outside advisers to judge their reaction to his remarks.
Trump was not apologetic and denied he was racist, instead blaming the media for distorting his meaning, said the confidant.
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the only Democrat at Thursday’s meeting, said Trump had said what he was reported to have said. Durbin said the remarks were “vile, hate-filled and clearly racial in their content”. He said Trump used the most vulgar term “more than once”.
Trump commented as Durbin was presenting details of a compromise immigration plan that included providing 1.6 billion US dollars (£1.16 billion) for a first instalment of the president’s long-sought border wall.
Trump took particular issue with the idea that people who had fled to the US after disasters hit their homes in places such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti would be allowed to stay as part of the deal, according to the people.
When it came to talk of extending protections for Haitians, Durbin said Trump replied: “We don’t need more Haitians’.”
“He said ‘Put me down for wanting more Europeans to come to this country. Why don’t we get more people from Norway?” Durbin said.
Republican Senators David Perdue and Tom Cotton, who also attended the meeting, initially said they deny Trump making the comments and then backtracked and challenged other senators’ descriptions of the remarks.
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