Why Cyril Ramaphosa failed in the US
There was a moment when Cyril Ramaphosa might have conjured a victory.
All it would have taken was a smidgeon of humanity and a teaspoonful of courage. Sadly, even so low a bar was too much for a president who invariably fails to rise to the occasion.
The opportunity occurred during what the media melodramatically describes as Donald Trump's 'ambush' of the SA team. By definition, ambushes are unexpected. But you'd have to be remarkably complacent not to have anticipated this particular ambush.
After all, Trump had for months made fanciful claims of white genocide. He had then granted refugee status to 59 Afrikaners.
What exactly was then unexpected about being sat down to watch a montage of news clips showing black South African political leaders, mainly Julius Malema but also Jacob Zuma, threatening to exterminate whites?
Ramaphosa was pole-axed. He sat squirming uncomfortably, eyes mostly averted, only sneaking momentary glances at the public relations disaster unfolding. The body language was not good: he repeatedly mopped his face; his mouth alternated between an unfortunate smirk and an embarrassed rictus.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Donald Trump ambushes Cyril Ramaphosa in Oval Office
Was it trepidation? Maybe Ramaphosa was waiting for the footage of him, as ANC party president, claiming at a 2017 rally, 'the land must be returned without any payment or compensation'. He could, of course, have escaped quite easily.
The leap to safety would be for him at the end of the video to firmly address Trump with something resoundingly statesmanlike. Something along the lines of 'I agree with you Mister President that these are terrible threats but they are unfortunately protected Monday 10 26 May 2025 by the constitution.
However, I and my ANC colleagues reject such divisive sentiments and will henceforth vigorously enforce the hate speech prohibitions that exist in our law.' Instead, Ramaphosa sat slack-jawed and dull-eyed.
The best he could eventually manage was the limp-wristed response that the violence promised on the videos was 'not government policy', and that whites were not being 'disproportionately' killed. It beggars belief that the SA team didn't anticipate this political theatre.
Surely, by now, the Trump modus operandi is obvious? Trump takes a real issue. He then exaggerates it and portrays himself as the caped avenger who'll pull down the wrath of God on the perpetrators unless the matter is resolved. So, when Ramaphosa said he thought that the visit had gone 'very well', he may be right.
After enduring the ritual humiliation, SA may well end up with a workmanlike compromise. Such a deal could conceivably involve Ramaphosa taking the kind of leaderly actions to reassure minorities, as well as easing race quotas in employment and softening our anti-US posture.
Possibly the US would in return encourage the investment and grant the tariff breaks we need. Any agreement remotely along those lines would be a no-brainer that we should grab with both hands. But the problem is that even if Ramaphosa wanted to, it is by no means clear that he could sell even such a mild deal to his party.
So there are at least two possible reasons why Ramaphosa failed to seize the opportunity provided by his Oval Office debut to be a statesman rather than a petty politician.
One is because he is not the great conciliator that he portrays himself to be. Alternatively, it's because he knew that his party would nail him to one of those white crosses had he dared.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa says Trump meeting a success despite ambush [VIDEO]
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