Opinion piece by Errol Naidoo; Family Policy Institute
I returned to South Africa on Sunday 20 Sept, after a successful five-day ministry trip to the US. The primary purpose for my travels to the US was to attend the 6th Commemoration of the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
President Donald Trump sent a Letter, read to the membership by Vince Haley, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.
God truly went ahead of me. In addition to meeting with Valerie Huber, the President of the “Institute for Women’s Health” (IWH), I established relationships with the leaders of several pro-life, pro-family and religious freedoms organisations from across the world.
Following the GCD event, I had strategic discussions with Marcel van der Watt, President & CEO of the “National Center on Sexual Exploitation” (NCOSE) in Washington. I also met with Board Members of NCOSE to discuss the ACPF Conference in Cape Town next year.
Consultations with Sean Nelson and Lindsey Keiser of “Alliance Defending Freedom” (ADF) International was particularly fruitful. We discussed prospective collaborations with “Rescue SA Civil Rights Alliance” to hold corrupt politicians accountable in courts of law.
ADF is the largest Christian lawyers’ network in the US. Sean Nelson connected me with key officials in the US State Department to discuss my work in Family Policy Institute (FPI) and RSACRA. He suggested there is opportunity for strategic collaboration in our work.
I met with Travis Webber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs at Family Research Council (FRC) on my final day in Washington. We discussed strengthening pro-life and pro-family collaboration across the continent of Africa. Travis will represent FRC at the ACPF Pan-African Conference on Family Values in Cape Town in May 2027.
The highlight of my week in Washington DC was the unplanned meeting with Tony Perkins, President of FRC. Tony is one of the most influential Christian leaders in the US today. We discussed FPI’s work in South Africa. Tony graciously prayed for me and my ministry in SA.
The Lord opened major doors for me in the US – doors I did not anticipate. I am deeply grateful to God and therefore convinced the relationships established during my visit to the US will significantly enhance and strengthen my pro-family and civil justice work in SA.
You can view some of the pictures from my trip to the US – September 14 – 19 2026 Here.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on SA government officials while I was in Washington. Diplomatic relationships between the US and SA are steadily deteriorating. SA Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola did not help matters when he called the Trump administrations refugee program for minorities “apartheid 2.0.”
Secretary Rubio said he would “revoke U.S. visas or reject visa applications from SA foreign nationals found to be responsible for, or complicit in, enacting or enforcing laws and policies that allow for uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination and the incitement of violence against minority ethnic and racial groups in South Africa.”
The corrupt and grossly incompetent ANC is becoming increasingly desperate as its criminal network crumbles. President Ramaphosa and his party’s use of apartheid as a convenient scapegoat for its monumental governance failures is wearing thin.
US President, Donald Trump signalled his conflict is not with the people of South Africa by signing the extension of the “African Growth and Opportunities Act” (AGOA) – in which certain exports to the US from several African nations including SA are zero tariff rated.
The AGOA extension viewed with growing sanctions against SA officials indicate the Trump admin’s fight is not with SA citizens but with the inept criminals masquerading as government. I am reliably informed the pain for ANC cadres will increase considerably.
As the ANC and other criminal parties collapse, civil society groups are increasingly taking up the slack – holding corrupt politicians accountable in courts of law. My trip to the US could not have come at a better time. Thank you, once again, to all who made it possible.
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Date published: 22/09/2026
Feature image: Sourced from Magnific; for illustration purposes only
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