uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party Secretary General Floyd Shivambu has launched a scathing critique of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of misrepresenting South Africa and perpetuating colonial attitudes.
Speaking at an MK Party-hosted Africa Day lecture in Thembisa, Shivambu condemned Ramaphosa’s diplomatic approach as “degrading” to Black South Africans and the broader African diaspora. “We reject Mr. Ramaphosa’s disgraceful portrayal of our nation in America. His submissive tone and mannerisms were unacceptable. Engaging with former colonizers shouldn’t mean adopting their worldview,” Shivambu asserted.
The event, marking Africa Day, became a platform for the MK Party to address unresolved struggles for reparations and true emancipation. Shivambu urged stronger alliances with anti-imperialist African states like Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali—nations that have recently severed military and economic ties with Western powers.
The remarks follow Ramaphosa’s controversial Trump meeting, which drew mixed reactions nationally. Critics argue the president prioritizes global capitalist diplomacy over domestic transformation—a charge amplified by Shivambu’s latest broadside.
Africa Day 2025 | MK Party delivers Africa Day Lecture
The MK leader also targeted recent amendments to B-BBEE policy in the ICT sector, particularly the Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP). He lambasted the provision allowing multinationals like Elon Musk’s Starlink to bypass 30% local ownership requirements through alternative investments, calling it a betrayal of economic empowerment. “These loopholes grant special privileges to foreign corporations while undermining black South Africans,” he charged.
The outcry has prompted Parliament to demand clarity from Communications Minister Mondli Gungubele regarding the EEIP amendments’ legality. As South Africa reflects on 61 years since the Organization of African Unity’s founding, Shivambu’s intervention fuels growing debates about the nation’s foreign policy direction and domestic economic justice—issues likely to dominate the political landscape ahead of crucial elections.
