Ramaphosa-Trump White House meeting: Africa holds its breath
Dr Gideon Chitanga says the outcome of President Cyril Ramaphosa's Washington visit will have a bearing on Africa-US relations.
Image: Supplied/GCIS
As the clock ticks towards the make-or-break meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and United States President Donald Trump, an international relations expert says the African continent is watching closely, as the interaction might set the tone for US-Africa relations.
In an interview with IOL, Dr Gideon Chitanga said the engagement, which set down for Wednesday at the Oval Office of the White House, will carry significance for the continent.
'The moment of the meeting, and its context - thinking back to the past five months, is very crucial because South Africa is a very significant player in the continent and probably the most active African country in multilateral context, representing the African voice.
'The power play that Trump has projected is quite telling, in the sense of the manner that he conducts US foreign policy under his administration. The retreat to bilateralism in contrast to multilateralism has also been a very significant feature of the current US administration. For Africa, I think Ramaphosa and South Africa are navigating a very significant, historical moment. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
'The outcome of this bilateral engagement, I think, will be watched by many African leaders including those who believe that a multilateral continental approach would be significant,' he added.
Chitanga said when Ramaphosa and Trump speak about the G20, it will become clear how Africa seeks to engage with Africa.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Earlier, IOL reported that one of South Africa's richest men, renowned businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen are reportedly part of the high-level South African delegation led by Ramaphosa.
According to media reports, Ramaphosa has included the golfers in his arsenal, seeking to appeal to Trump who loves the sport.
Speculation has been rife over the audience Ramaphosa will receive from Trump, following the dressing down given to visiting Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in February.
IOL has previously reported that since his inauguration, Trump has cut aid to South Africa, and has offered South African Afrikaner an opportunity to relocate to the US as refugees. So far, the first batch of 49 Afrikaners has arrived in the US.
US President Donald Trump has made good on his promise to cut funding to South Africa over the government's land expropriation policy and resettle white farmers, insisting that their land is being expropriated.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
22 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
Iranians' World Cup dream crushed by US travel ban
TEHRAN - A year out from kick-off, Iranian football fans are watching their World Cup dream slip away after a US travel ban barred them from entering the land of "Great Satan" to cheer on their team. The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, but most matches, including the final, are scheduled to be played on American soil. Many in Iran had clung to hopes of cheering from the stands until Wednesday when US President Donald Trump rolled out a new travel ban on 12 countries including Iran, which will take effect from Monday. "My friends and I have been waiting for years to watch Team Melli (a nickname for the national team) play in a World Cup on US soil, and when they qualified, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Sohrab Naderi, a real estate agent in Tehran, told AFP. "Now with the new travel ban, that dream is shattered because of politics that we don't care about and have no control over," said the 46-year-old who attended the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which saw the US side defeat Iran 1-0 in the group stage. The prospect of Iran competing in a US-hosted tournament comes against the backdrop of a decades-long enmity, with diplomatic ties broken since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The two sides are currently engaged in high-stakes talks over Iran's nuclear programme, with the United States threatening military action if no deal can be reached. 'DEGRADING TO ALL IRANIANS' Trump said the new travel ban was prompted by a makeshift flamethrower attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado that US authorities blamed on a man they said was in the country illegally. The ban will not apply to athletes competing in either the 2026 World Cup or the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the order said. Nonetheless, supporters who had dreamed of crossing the Atlantic to cheer on their team will no longer be able to make the trip. "Every Iranian has the right to support their team, just as much as any other country, whether the game is in America or in any other country," said Hasti Teymourpour, a 16-year-old football fan. Since his return to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Iran and vowed that "something bad" would happen unless the Iranians "move quickly" towards a nuclear deal. Naderi, who called the ban "inhumane" and "degrading to all Iranians", still hopes the Iran-US nuclear talks will yield a deal that might persuade Trump to reconsider. The outcome of the US-Iran talks that began in April remains unclear, and many fans worry that even if they result in a deal, it may be too late for them. Some Iranians have refused to give up hope, however, seeing in the World Cup an opportunity to thaw relations. "Sports diplomacy can act as a strong catalyst and bring the efforts of political diplomats to fruition sooner," said political commentator Mohammad Reza Manafi. It could be "a great opportunity to help advance diplomacy between the two countries". FRIENDLY? In a memorable 1998 World Cup clash, Iranian players handed flowers to their American adversaries and posed together for photos -- a rare public gesture of goodwill between the nations. Iran won 2–1, a victory celebrated in Tehran as a source of both sporting and political pride. With the 2026 draw expected in December, it remains unclear whether Iran and the United States will face off again, but anticipation is building. "The two countries are not hostile to each other, this political discussion is for the governments," said 44-year-old day labourer Siamak Kalantari. Another fan, Mahdieh Olfati, said: "If we face the US again, we'll definitely win." "Ours are real players," the 18-year-old added. Manafi, the commentator, said a friendly before the tournament, possibly hosted by a third country, could help ease tensions. Such a game, he said, could help "achieve what politicians from both sides have not managed to do for years".
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
US faces vape shortage as China tariffs, seizures hit Geek Bar
Shipments of vapes from China to the U.S. ground to a near halt in May from a year ago, official data shows, hit by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and a crackdown on unauthorised e-cigarettes in the world's biggest market for smoking alternatives. That includes Geek Bar, a brand of flavoured vapes that is not authorised to sell in the U.S. but which had been widely available due to porous import controls. One retailer, who asked not to be named because their business sells unauthorised vapes, told Reuters that one of the store's vape suppliers normally receives 100 boxes of Geek Bar vapes per week, but is now getting just ten. Another supplier imposed unprecedented purchase limits. 'There were a lot of supply chain issues' during COVID-19, the person said. 'But I've never seen this.' The U.S. supplier limited purchases to five boxes at a time due to 'tariff-related price increases and limited market availability', an undated notice to customers seen by Reuters showed. Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs on China, now at 30% after peaking at 145% in April, as well as blockbuster seizures of unauthorised vapes, have constrained the supply of Chinese-owned vape brands and Geek Bar in particular, according to five industry sources and notices from U.S. Geek Bar wholesalers reviewed by Reuters. Between May 1 and May 28 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recorded just 71 shipments of products labelled as e-cigarettes or vapes from China, compared with nearly 1,200 over the same period last year. Such imports had fallen between 40% and 60% in February, March and April, after Trump came into office, but collapsed in May, the data show. 'Due to increased tariffs, rising production costs, and reduced supply chain capacity, the manufacturer has informed us that they will be reducing supply volume in the near-term,' one U.S. regional Geek Bar wholesaler wrote to customers on April 22 in an email shared with Reuters. 'WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NICOTINE HERE' In the meantime, vape distributors expect prices to go in one direction. 'With tariffs, it'll definitely go up,' said one U.S. vape distributor who asked not to be named. But that might not impact sales much. Unauthorised vape manufacturers enjoy hefty margins, and so can eat some of the cost of tariffs, Luis Pinto, a spokesperson for British American Tobacco's BATS.L U.S. subsidiary, said. Meanwhile, consumers hooked on vapes tend to keep buying, even as the price goes up. 'If the price goes up, the price goes up. We're talking about nicotine here,' the vape distributor said, adding unlike other products, addicted users need their fix. Vapes like Geek Bar – priced around $20 currently – would still be good value even with a $5 increase, the person said. Geek Bar manufacturer, Guangdong Qisitech, did not respond to a request for comment sent to its general email address. Pinto agreed the tariffs will increase prices but probably not to the point 'where it is a barrier to usage'. Many of the vapes landing on U.S. shelves are manufactured in Shenzhen, which meets the majority of the world's demand for vapes. Some factories there make devices for large tobacco companies with the legal licence to sell their products in the United States, such as Japan Tobacco International 2914.T. Others fuel a booming market for unregulated devices that U.S. authorities say are illegal to import or sell. To mitigate tariffs, illicit vape producers can mislabel or undervalue their shipments or spoof their origin entirely to make it look like they came from a lower-tariff country like Indonesia, Vietnam or Mexico, Pinto said. Vapes from China are often smuggled into the U.S. disguised as other items entirely, such as shoes or toys, to evade officials hunting for unauthorised vapes at the border, according to public statements from the FDA and Customs and Border Protection. Geek Bar was by far the most popular unauthorised vape brand in the U.S. last year, accounting for around a quarter of sales tracked by market research company Circana in 2024 despite lacking a licence to sell from the FDA, which has struggled to contain illegal imports from China. The brand, as well as thousands of other labels often made in China and lacking FDA permission, are stocked by wholesalers and retailers around the country, often sold alongside authorised labels from big tobacco companies like BAT and Altria MO.N. PANIC BUYING U.S. tariffs have driven panic buying of vapes by U.S. buyers, higher shipping costs and increased risks at the border, the distributor, a former distributor and a person who used to work for a major Chinese vape company said. Substantial vape seizures were also a big driver of Geek Bar supply issues, two of the sources said. The FDA announced a large seizure in Chicago in February, and new FDA commissioner Marty Makary has pledged to crack down on unauthorised vapes. Government notices on seized goods show further vape seizures in March and April. The growth of Geek Bar and other unregulated vape brands have eaten into the market share of cigarette companies like Altria and BAT, which estimates unauthorised e-cigarettes accounted for some 70% of all U.S. vape sales last year. Altria CEO Billy Gifford told investors in April that he hoped tariffs would lead to 'much more enforcement' of vapes at the border. Trump's trade war with China has also seen China-U.S. air freight and shipping capacity collapse limiting shipping capacity for cargo including vapes. The FDA's data only captures shipments properly declared as vapes. As a result, it has recorded declining vape shipments since 2020 even as industry sales have grown. An FDA spokesperson said the agency expects the number of shipments it captures to increase as it ramps up efforts to ensure compliance and prevent illegal imports. Unauthorised vape makers have also been moving production to Indonesia – a shift that prolonged tariffs on China would likely accelerate, the former employee said. Vape makers are 'highly adaptable', the person said. 'Whatever happens in the U.S., the industry will survive.'
Mail & Guardian
an hour ago
- Mail & Guardian
Uganda's parliament ignores rule of law
Robert Kyagulanyi, aka 'Bobi Wine', leader of the National Unity Platform. Rule of law in Uganda is precarious — injustices, atrocities and oppression abnormalities are the norm. Parliament has passed the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, which targets dissenting voices, activists and political opponents. This comes ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2026. The draconian Bill turned into law comes amid the abductions and torture of activists and other people who oppose the government in the Buganda region. Key opposition figures such as Achileo Kivumbi, Edward Ssebuufu ( also known as Eddy Mutwe) and Noah Mutwe are among the thousands who have been subjected to such treatment. Ssebuufu, a bodyguard for National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, went missing on 27 April after being abducted by armed men. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's military chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, said he was holding Ssebuufu in his Days later, another of Kyagulanyi's bodyguards, Noah Mutwe, was abducted on 15 May by armed men driving a double-cab without number plates. He appeared in court on charges of incitement to violence, hate speech, malicious information and conspiracy to commit a felony related to social media messages. The NUP's head of security, Achileo Kivumbi, was arrested in August 2024 on charges of being in possession of military attire — a T-shirt and cap. He appeared in a general court martial chaired by a brigadier. Veteran opposition politician Kizza Besigye was detained in Kenya and taken back to Uganda where he was transferred to a military court. No extradition proceedings were followed and Kenya denied knowledge of the abduction. He was charged with treason in a civilian court after his case was transferred from a military tribunal. In 2018, Kyagulanyi was first taken to a military court and then transferred to a civilian court on charges of treason. The general court martial is a specialised court set up by the legislative arm to deal with uniformed and military discipline in the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces, not civilians. What is so dangerous about this situation is that martial law is used specifically against Museveni's opponents In January this year, in On 21 May, contrary to the court ruling, parliament passed the Bill allowing military trials of civilians. Museveni and his son still insist on trying civilians in military courts, stating that the move stabilises the country. The president is on record stating that 'civilian courts are clogged with the many court cases of the whole country like murder, rape, assaults, robbery, land matters, divorce matters emphasising that they could not handle gun-wielding criminals quickly'. 'Yet for stabilisation you need speed. Moreover these individuals, although not soldiers, voluntarily and with evil intentions acquired killing instruments that should be the monopoly of the armed forces, governed by the relevant laws.' Museveni's statements hold little substance and 'these individuals' are political opponents and civilians who should not appear in the specialised general court martial. It is against the law and unconstitutional. The legality of this military court was tested in Uganda Law Society vs Attorney General and in 2nd Lt. Ogwang Ambrose vs Uganda. But now Museveni has passed the 2025 Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill. It's clear that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) of the Museveni regime is using the military court as a tool against its political opponents to entrench fear among opposition party members and Uganda's voters. The NRM government has been using political corruption and violence to suppress opposition parties and voters for the past 40 years. My fear is the wrath that is being built and will be unleashed against opponents of the NRM regime ahead of the 2026 elections. Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst.
