Ramaphosa Responds To Trump’s Threats, Vows South Africa Won't Be Bullied
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats in his annual speech on Thursday, saying South Africa would “not be bullied.”
This was seen as a reaction to Trump’s decision to cut all funding to South Africa over a new law that allows the government to take land without compensation in certain situations.
Trump called the law a “massive human rights violation” and announced on February 3, 2025, that all future U.S. funding to South Africa would be suspended until a full investigation into the law is completed.
Furthermore, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not attend the upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa, scheduled for February 20-21, 2025, because of the land expropriation law.
In his speech, Ramaphosa said that South Africa would stand firm and not be intimidated. He said:
We are witnessing the rise of nationalism and protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests and the decline of common cause.
This is the world that we, as a developing economy, must now navigate.But we are not daunted. We will not be deterred. We are a resilient people.
We will not be bullied. We will stand together as a united nation. We will speak with one voice in defence of our national interest, our sovereignty and our constitutional democracy.
That part of the speech received applause and cheers from members of Parliament and others attending the SONA.
