SISULU SAYS IT'S REGRETTABLE TRUMP'S TWEET IS BASED ON FALSE INFORMATION

The minister says she‘ll seek clarification on Thursday from the US embassy about the US president’s tweet.

Jean-Jacques Cornish
Eyewitness News

PRETORIA - Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu says it's regrettable that US President Donald Trump's tweet is based on false information.

In a tweet earlier on Thursday, Trump said he had asked secretary of state Mike Pompeo to “closely study South African land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large-scale killing of farmers”.

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instruction, Sisulu says she‘ll seek clarification on Thursday from the US embassy about Trump’s tweet.

She’ll also communicate with her US counterpart Pompeo her feelings about the message which she calls unfortunate.

Washington does not have an ambassador to Pretoria, so Sisulu will have to deal with the Chargé d'Affaires Jessye Lapenn.

The department says further comment will be made after the diplomatic communications.