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Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Over 250 SANDF troops deployed to DRC set to arrive back on home soil
JOHANNESBURG - More than 250 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops who were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are set to arrive back on home soil on Friday afternoon. The troops are expected to land at Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein at midday. This marks the end of the SANDF's participation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC, which saw South African soldiers fight alongside Malawian and Tanzanian troops in an effort to restore peace in the eastern part of the country. In May, South Africa withdrew its troops from the DRC, having lost 14 soldiers in a battle with M23 rebels in January. The loss of lives sparked a national outcry, resulting in a public spat between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame on X. Ramaphosa's labelling of the Rwandan Defence Force as a "militia" didn't sit well with Kagame. Tensions between the countries have since subsided. In May, both leaders formed part of a presidential panel at the opening of the African CEO Forum in the Ivory Coast. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to welcome the troops upon their arrival. ALSO READ: SANDF refutes claims of troops returning from DRC surrendering weapons in Rwanda
Eyewitness News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa to hold another meeting with Trump over US granting refugee status to group of Afrikaners
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold another meeting with US President Donald Trump to continue discussions regarding his decision to grant refugee status to a group of Afrikaners. Ramaphosa also said that the group of 49 Afrikaners who left for the US on a chartered flight on Sunday did not fit the definition for someone who deserved refugee status. Ramaphosa was addressing the issue during a panel discussion at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Monday. ALSO READ: • Lamola maintains 49 Afrikaners who left for US don't qualify to be refugees • Afrikaners relocating to US could lose their refugee status should they decide to return to SA • SA transport officials detail flight plan for aircraft carrying 49 Afrikaners relocating to US President Ramaphosa said that he informed Trump during a telephone conversation that Afrikaners were not being persecuted in South Africa and that those who make the claim were those opposed to transformation. He told the African CEO Forum that it was just a fringe grouping in the country that's making the false claims and Afrikaners don't qualify for refugee status. "I said I'm going to come and meet him so we can discuss this matter further. So those who have fled are not being persecuted, they are not being hounded, they are not being treated badly. They are leaving ostensibly because they don't want to embrace the changes taking place in our country." Ramaphosa said that South Africa was one of the only countries on the continent where the former minority powers were embraced and not driven out. "And we have never driven them out of our country. So they are staying and making great progress." Ramaphosa said he was not sure whether US billionaire Elon Musk would be part of the discussions but said that he would be attending with his own delegation.
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Ramaphosa challenges US refugee claims: Are Afrikaners really persecuted?
At the African CEO Forum, Ramaphosa challenged misinformation about white Afrikaner migration, asserting that South Africa's reforms are constitutional, inclusive, and not cause for refugee status or persecution claims. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected claims that white Afrikaners leaving South Africa for the United States are legitimate refugees. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum, Ramaphosa addressed recent reports that 49 white South Africans are being welcomed to the United States (US) under refugee status, with backing from the Donald Trump administration. 'We've raised our own concern because those people who are being enticed to go to the United States do not fit the definition of a refugee,' Ramaphosa said. 'A refugee is someone who has to leave their country out of fear of political persecution, religious persecution, or economic persecution.' He emphasised that those leaving are not being persecuted in South Africa. 'They are not being, you know, hounded. They are not being treated badly. They are leaving ostensibly because they don't want to embrace the changes that are taking place in our country in accordance with our constitution,' he stated. Ramaphosa revealed he had a direct phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, during which he countered narratives presented by what he called 'a fringe grouping' opposed to transformation in South Africa. 'I said, President, what you've been told by those people who are opposed to transformation back home in South Africa is not true,' Ramaphosa said. 'We were well taught by Nelson Mandela and other iconic leaders like Oliver Tambo on how to continue to build a united nation out of the diverse groupings that we have.' Highlighting South Africa's unique historical context, Ramaphosa noted: 'We're the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay and we have never driven them out of our country. So they are staying and they're making great progress.' The president asserted that those leaving represent a 'fringe grouping that does not have a lot of support,' and reassured that transformation would continue under South Africa's constitutional order. 'I said to him, I would never support apartheid-style policies. I learned at the feet of Nelson Mandela, and we intend to proceed with the implementation of our constitutional architecture,'' he said. Ramaphosa added that while the American government 'got the wrong end of the stick,' South Africa would continue engaging with US officials to clarify the matter. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
