All eyes will be on the United States as people in the country head to the polls to decide who the next president will be. Although South Africans have no power in influencing the final outcome of the election, these are just a few of the ideas that Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have when it comes to our beloved country.
Trump on SA: Too much crime
1. It’s messy “I really like Nelson Mandela but South Africa is a crime-ridden mess that is just waiting to explode-not a good situation for the people!”

You know someone is about to say something dodgy about SA when they start a sentence with, “I like Nelson Mandela, but…”. Yes, South Africa may have it’s own troubles with crime, but so does the US. Nice of Mr Trump to care about us, but he might want to pay more attention to home.
2. He had a ‘wonderful relationship’ with Madiba
A photo posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on

“Nelson Mandela and myself had a wonderful relationship—he was a special man and will be missed.”
When Nelson Mandela died, Trump posted a photograph on Instagram, saying he knew Mandela personally. Although Trump seemed fond of Madiba, it’s not clear whether the feeling was reciprocated.
3. SA is still messy 

“As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total - and very dangerous - mess. Just watch the evening news (when not talking weather).”
Trump got in hot water when he made comments about how dangerous South Africa is on Twitter. He made the remarks at a time when South Africa made international headlines as a result of horrific xenophobic attacks in the country, but some felt Trump should stick to his own lane.
4. The case of a “total moron”

“The judge in the Oscar Pistorious case is a total moron. She said he didn’t act like a killer. This is another O.J. disaster!”
Trump called Judge Masipa out on the way she handled the casae against Oscar Pistorius after the athlete was found guilty of culpable homicide for the death of Reeva Steenkamp, a model and his girlfriend at the time.
5. That time he nearly forgot the whole continent in his foreign policy In April 2016, Trump made his first speech where he outlined his plans for foreign policy. One continent, with 54 countries, didn’t make the cut into his speech, however.
Clinton on SA: let us be partners
1. Teamwork against Mugabe work “There are three million Zimbabwean refugees living in South Africa. The difference is that you are free and you are working together. It is tragic that your neighbours do not have the same freedoms.
“It is the responsibility of a leadership to do what it should to take care of its own people. I know that President Zuma is working very hard, as did president Mbeki before him, to try to change the attitude of the Zimbabwean leadership.’‘
During a state visit to South Africa in 2009, Clinton applauded South Africa for its economic achievements, using the moment to encourage the South African government to intervene in Zimbabwe. The US has tried to take down Mugabe for some time now, but alas, it hasn’t quite worked.
2. Teary-eyed inauguration “I was on the verge of tears the whole time,” she said just after the inauguration.
Hillary Clinton was part of the US delegation that visited South Africa when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the country’s first democratic president. Although Clinton appeared happy for democracy in South Africa, she has been heavily criticised for her foreign policy which has had the potential to jeopardise democracy in other parts of the world, such as Iraq and Palestine.
3. What we can do, and what Clinton can do  
“You are a democratic power with the opportunity to influence Africa and the world. You have led on non-proliferation at the International Atomic Energy Agency and on climate change at the Durban conference. You’ve led on economic cooperation at the G-20.
“You’ve led on women’s participation in politics. And a South African woman will soon become chair of the African Union Commission, a first in the history of that organisation.
“Now all of this is good news for the people of South Africa, this continent and the world. But respectfully, I say that we and you can, should, and must do more.”
During a visit to South Africa, Clinton proceeded to tell South Africans that we’re doing a darn good job, but we can always do a little more. While this may be true, so far, some people have been unconvinced about what this will mean for black women, if anything.
4. Adding value, not extracting it “There are many examples here of the opportunities that do exist, some of you are ready to do business in South Africa while others are looking to start or expand. We wants sustainable partnerships in Africa that add value rather than extract it.”
This could be a nod to that time when there was a “scramble for Africa” as the world’s colonial superpowers tried to claim every mineral and resource for their own wealth. Although Clinton says her goal is to help Africa, she has also told everyone to collectively get over colonialism.
5. ‘Get over it’ 
“I mean for goodness’ sake, this is the 21st century. You know, we got to get over what happened 50, 100, 200 years ago and let’s make money for everybody. That’s the best way to try to create some new energy and some new growth in Africa.”
And that’s when Clinton got roasted. Maybe someone should remind her about that time she got teary-eyed when South Africa became a democracy after the bad ol’ days of apartheid. Or has she forgotten?