South African business tycoon Patrice Motsepe is making Friday headlines for the lavish praises he showered on US President Donald Trump during a dinner meeting in Davos, Switzerland recently.
APA learnt that Motsepe, during a dinner in the Swiss resort city, unabashedly told Trump who was sitting next to him around the dinner table, that “All I wanted to say is that Africa loves America. Africa loves you.”
To a leader who once described African countries as “s..tholes”, the flattering remarks were sweet music to Trump’s ears who promptly responded to Motsepe: “Thank you very much. That’s an honour. Thank you.”
As if the initial remarks were not enough, Motsepe added: “We want America to do well. We want you to do well. The success of America is the success of the rest of the world.”
This exchange, circulating on social platforms, got the social media agog on Friday, with some tweets praising Motsepe and others making fun of the businessman, who is said to be Africa’s first billionaire who made his fortune in the mining industry.
While the social media comments have become critical of Motsepe, questioning his authority to speak for Africa, others said that he was just playing the game of capitalism with Trump.
One commentator said on Twitter: “Patrice Motsepe is smart but was star struck. He told Donald Trump what Donald Trump likes hearing. It was a perfect set up…very strategic or very naïve. Anyway, who cares. We are a shithole country, right?”
A second added: “Having a lot of money is not a measure of intelligence. You can have much of it and still be a fool. Cyril Ramaphosa and Patrice Motsepe are just visible examples of that!”
A third tweet said: “Guys Patrice Motsepe was being diplomatic…U don’t expect him to say horrible things in his face…even some state leaders wouldn’t…”
“He didn’t have to say any of that nonsense,” a fourth tweet concluded.
Motsepe, whose sister is married to President Ramaphosa, is African Rainbow Minerals founder and its chief executive officer.
NM/jn/APA