President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing intense backlash after sharing the stage with former U.S. President Donald Trump without addressing what activists describe as an attack on South Africa’s sovereignty and progressive values.
Critics argue that Ramaphosa’s failure to challenge Trump—especially over inflammatory remarks targeting EFF leader Julius Malema—signals a betrayal of South Africa’s liberation principles. Trump’s comments, widely seen as an attack on Malema and the broader struggle for land reform, were met with silence from the South African president, sparking outrage among activists and freedom fighters.
“Ramaphosa did not act as a proud African statesman. He stood passively by, complicit in the vilification of Julius Malema, a leading voice for the landless and oppressed,” said political analyst and activist Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandwla.
Further fueling the controversy, Ramaphosa reportedly criticized a liberation song upheld by South Africa’s courts—a move critics say aligns him with global capital and colonial interests. According to Mandwla, this amounts to a betrayal of the country’s hard-fought struggle against apartheid and its ongoing fight for economic justice.
“This was not diplomacy. It was surrender,” Mandwla stated. “Ramaphosa did not challenge the myth of white genocide, did not confront U.S. police brutality, and most damningly, did not defend a fellow South African.”
The meeting, intended to strengthen U.S.–South Africa relations, is now seen by many as a sign of capitulation to colonial pressure. For those on the ground, it serves as a reminder that the fight for land, freedom, and dignity is far from over.
“This is not just about one man,” Mandwla said. “It’s about the soul of South Africa. And we, the people, will rise.”