British PM dances her way out of SA, heads to Kenya

Theresa May had a go at dancefloor diplomacy on the opening day of her Africa trade trip. The prime minister moved from side to side and bobbed up and down as she was greeted by pupils singing and dancing at the ID Mkize secondary school in Cape Town.

The British prime minister landed in Cape Town on Tuesday and visited a high school in Gugulethu before addressing a high-level business gathering in the city.

May has backed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s approach to land reform, saying that it could unlock investment if done in a legal and transparent way.


After landing in Cape Town early on Tuesday, May visited a high school in Gugulethu before addressing a high-level business gathering in the city.

There she committed to trade relations with Southern Africa post-Brexit and unveiled her vision for stronger ties with the continent, including billions of pounds in investment.

May’s endorsement of Ramaphosa’s stance on the expropriation of land without compensation will come as a boost and stands in stark contrast to United States President Donald Trump’s misinformed tweet last week.

May told the South Africa-UK business forum in Cape Town that the UK supports land reform that’s legal, transparent and is done through a democratic process. She noted that Ramaphosa made it clear that there would be no smash and grabs.

“I welcome the comments [that] President Ramaphosa has already made about the approach to land reform, bearing in mind the economic and social aspects of it. We already see significant investment in the UK. I think there are real opportunities for the future.”

Ramaphosa is chasing $100 billion in fresh investments for South Africa over the next five years.

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