Genocide’ claims, trade disputes, and high stakes talks: Inside Ramaphosa’s urgent US mission

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the importance of enhancing the partnership between South Africa and the United States following his recent working visit to Washington, DC.

The delegation, which included representatives from government, business, labour, and sports, aimed to strengthen economic ties and address challenges in the bilateral relationship.

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa emphasised that the visit came at a time when “US-SA relations have come under increasing strain, largely as a result of misinformation peddled by fringe groups in our two countries, including a false narrative about a so-called genocide and an orchestrated campaign of violence against white farmers.”

He said it was critical to engage directly with the US administration “to correct misinformation and provide a true account of the progress we have made as a democracy and the many and complex challenges we still face.”

The overarching aim of the visit was to deepen the strategic economic partnership with the US, South Africa’s second-largest trading partner.

The US is a key export market for South African goods, including motor vehicles, agricultural products, and critical minerals. Meanwhile, South Africa imports a wide range of goods and services from the US.

Ramaphosa highlighted opportunities to increase and diversify trade in sectors such as gas, mining, agriculture, and nuclear products.

He noted that more than 600 US companies operate in South Africa, employing around 148,000 people.

“Earlier this year, tech giant Microsoft announced plans to invest an additional R5.4 billion in expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa over the next two years,” he said.

An important outcome of the discussions was the agreement to establish an economic cooperation channel to engage further on tariffs and other trade matters, he said. President Trump also committed to continue the US role in the G20, including attending the Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg later this year.

Ramaphosa quoted Nelson Mandela’s 1990 address to the US Congress, describing economic cooperation as “not a relationship between donor and recipient, between a dependent and a benefactor,” but one of mutual benefit.

He affirmed that “this spirit of cooperation remains firmly in place more than 30 years later.”

He stressed the importance of collective effort to overcome domestic challenges, stating: “We need to work together as Government, business, labour and all of society to overcome our domestic challenges, including the high rate of crime, if we are to attract investment that advances economic growth and creates jobs.”

''Our successful working visit to the US reaffirmed the importance of keeping the channels of dialogue open. The willingness of the US to engage with South Africa on resetting our relationship is testament to the strength of the bilateral relationship.

“As South Africans, as a sovereign and independent nation, we are always ready to acknowledge and address our problems, just as we are always ready to engage our critics in meaningful discussion.”

Ramphosa noted that the visit “established a basis for greater engagement and cooperation,”

“Our two countries have everything to gain from working more closely together,” Ramaphosa said.

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za

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