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DW
21-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
High stakes for South Africa's Ramaphosa's Trump meeting – DW – 05/20/2025
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. New trade agreements are on the agenda, but can the two nations reset their strained relationship? South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is in the United States, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on May 21, in a crucial face-to-face talk that will set the tone for future relations between the two countries. It will be the first time Trump has hosted an African leader at the White House since he took office in January. Trump never visited Africa during his first term. On the other hand, Ramaphosa's last working visit to Washington was in 2022 when former US President Joe Biden was still in office. But since early 2025, relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated rapidly, driven by ideological differences, geopolitical alliances, and domestic policy conflicts. "The president's visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries," the South African presidency said in a statement. However, some analysts have warned that Ramaphosa's three-day visit is unlikely to be easy, with fears it could turn hostile or confrontational. No land confiscation in South Africa: DW's Dianne Hawker To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The objective is to try to clean up South Africa's image and remove the perception that Trump is putting forward about South Africa as a country where a genocide against white Afrikaaners is taking place," Fredson Guilengue from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Johannesburg told DW. Refuting Trump's claims of 'genocide' against white South Africans Ramaphosa's trip comes just days after the US welcomed a group of white South African "refugees" who President Donald Trump claimed were being persecuted in South Africa because of their race, and facing "genocide". They flew to the US on a special relocation plan and will be allowed to settle there. Ramaphosa's government denies the allegations and says white people, who own more than 70% of the land in South Africa, despite making up just 7% of the population, are not discriminated against. The US has welcomed white South African farmers as "refugees:" Trump insists they are fleeing persecution in South Africa Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Ramaphosa will also seek to present a new trade framework that is going to govern trade between the two countries, especially in the post-AGOA period, Guilengue said. The Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), is a trade agreement between the US and eligible sub-Saharan African countries. Expiring on October 1, 2025, it allows African nations to export products to the US duty-free, and the idea is that it help the African continent in its development agenda. A new US-South Africa trade deal? Trump's recent trade tariffs signaled the end of the AGOA. South Africa's automotive industry, for instance, will suffer substantially from Trump's tariffs because of the high level of exports to the US, and it is hoped that Ramaphosa will be able to change the situation. Tensions also rose because of Trump's recent trade policies, which hit South Africa hard, but also because of the cuts in US aid for development projects. The relationship was already strained after South Africa filed a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, alleging that the Israeli military was committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Another aspect of the breakdown of relations is South Africa's role within BRICS. "It threatens Americans globally and South Africa as one of the active members of the BRICS group is not seen positively by the US," Guilengue added. BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising 10 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS leaders discuss dollar alternative To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video South Africans skeptical Given the tense geopolitical climate, how do South Africans view Ramaphosa's trip? "There is that minor segment in South African society that believes that it is important that Ramaphosa uses this opportunity to redress South Africa's independence, it has the right to choose partners with whom to work and define its own diplomacy", Guilengue said. He added that a larger segment of society was very skeptical about the presidents' meeting, knowing Trump's way of dealing with his opponents, pointing to the humiliation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy experienced in the Oval Office in February. Despite hosting the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in April, Ramaphosa has not been critical of Russia's war in Ukraine Image: Phill Magakoe/AFP The South African presidency in Pretoria confirmed that Trump had initiated the invitation for Ramaphosa. Guilengue stressed that the US president might still recognize South Africa as its largest trading partner on the African continent. South Africa's role as G20-leader For Daniel Silke, a political analyst and the director of the Political Futures Consultancy based in the legislative capital of South Africa Cape Town, an important factor is South Africa's leadership of the G20 this year. "The G20 — despite comments from the US and attempts to withdraw from global organizations and bodies — remains one of the most important of these bodies", Silke told DW. It is within that context that South Africa becomes elevated in terms of global importance and therefore it is reasonable that both sides meet in Washington, he added. Ramaphosa might try to convince Trump to join the summit in November in Johannesburg, which the US president plans to boycott. Silke said Ramaphosa's visit has little to do with the refugee flight of white Afrikaners to the US. The issue will be raised, but will not play a major role in the talks, he noted. "The US is taking maverick positions on all sorts of issues and Trump, in particular, will criticize a leader one day and will then reach out the hand of friendship if it is beneficial for the US." The best way to deal with Trump is personally: "This is an issue of personal diplomacy and a personal relationship that needs to be forged even though it might be rocky," Silke explained, adding that in the end, it comes down to doing business. "For all of the chatter about tariffs it looks as the worst tariffs could be negotiated down. South Africa has got leverage on some critical minerals that it could also supply to the US." Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
DW
20-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
High stakes for Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump – DW – 05/20/2025
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa meets Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. Talks about new trade agreements are on the agenda, but can they reset their strained relationship? South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is in the US, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on May 21, in a crucial face-to-face talk that will set the tone for future relations between the two countries. His visit will be the first time Trump has hosted an African leader at the White House since he took office in January. Trump never visited Africa during his first term. On the other hand, Ramaphosa's last working visit to Washington was in 2022 when former US President Joe Biden was still in office. But since early 2025, relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated rapidly, driven by ideological differences, geopolitical alliances, and domestic policy conflicts. "The president's visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries," the South African presidency said in a statement. However, some analysts have warned that Ramaphosa's three-day visit is unlikely to be easy, with fears it could turn hostile or confrontational. No land confiscation in South Africa: DW's Dianne Hawker To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The objective is to try to clean up South Africa's image and remove the perception that Trump is putting forward about South Africa as a country where a genocide against white Afrikaaners is taking place", Fredson Guilengue, Regional Program Manager at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Southern Africa in Johannesburg, told DW. Refuting Trump's claims of 'genocide' against white South Africans Ramaphosa's trip comes just days after the US welcomed a group of white South African "refugees" who President Donald Trump claims are being persecuted in South Africa because of their race, and are facing a "genocide". They flew to the US on a special relocation plan and will be allowed to settle there. Ramaphosa's government denies those allegations and says whites, who own more than 70% of the land despite making up just 7% of the population, are not discriminated against. The US has welcomed white South African farmers as "refugees", whom Trump insists are fleeing persecution in South Africa Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Ramaphosa will also seek to present a new trade framework that is going to govern trade between the two countries, especially in the period post AGOA, Guilengue said. The Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), is a trade agreement between the United States and eligible sub-Saharan African countries. The deal, which expires on October 1, 2025, allows African nations to export products to the US duty-free, thereby helping the continent in its development agenda. A new US-South Africa trade deal? Trump's recent trade tariffs signaled the end of the AGOA. South Africa's automotive industry, for instance, suffers substantially from Trump's tariffs because of the high level of exports to the US, and it is expected that Ramaphosa can change the position in relation to the tariffs that Trump imposed on South Africa. Tensions were rising due to Trump's recent trade policies, which were hitting South Africa hard, but also due tothe cuts in US aid for development projects. The relationship was already strained after South Africa filed a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice in Den Hague, alleging that the Israeli military is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Another aspect of the breakdown of relations is South Africa's role within BRICS. "It threatens Americans globally and South Africa as one of the active members of the BRICS group is not seen positively by the US," Guilengue added. BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS leaders discuss dollar alternative To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video South Africans skeptical Given the tense geopolitical climate, how do South Africans view Ramaphosa's trip? "There is that minor segment in South African society that believes that it is important that Ramaphosa uses this opportunity to redress South Africa's independence, it has the right to choose partners with whom to work and define its own diplomacy", Guilengue said. He added that a larger segment of society is very skeptical about the president's meeting, knowing Trump's way of dealing with his opponents, pointing to the humiliation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy experienced while visiting Trump in the Oval Office in February. Despite hosting the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in April, Ramaphosa has not been critical of Russia's war in Ukraine Image: Phill Magakoe/AFP The South African presidency in Pretoria confirmed that Trump had initiated the invitation for Ramaphosa. Guilengue stressed that Trump might still recognize South Africa as its largest trading partner on the continent. For Daniel Silke, political analyst and Director of the Political Futures Consultancy based in Cape Town, an important factor is South Africa's leadership of the G20 this year. South Africa's role as G20-leader "The G20—despite the comments from the US and attempts to withdraw from global organizations and bodies—remains one of the most important one of these bodies", Silke told DW. It is within that context that South Africa becomes elevated in terms of global importance and therefore it is reasonable that both sides meet in Washington, he added. Ramaphosa might try to convince Trump to join the summit in November in Johannesburg, which the US President plans to boycott. Silke said Ramaphosa's visit has little to do with the refugee flight of white Afrikaners to the US. The issue will be raised, but it is not a major point in the talks, he noted. "The US is taking maverick positions on all sorts of issues and Trump, in particular, will criticize a leader one day and will then reach out the hand of friendship if it is beneficial for the US." The best way to deal with Trump is personally: "This is an issue of personal diplomacy and a personal relationship that needs to be forged even though it might be rocky," Silke explained, adding that in the end, it comes down to doing business. "For all of the chatter about tariffs it looks as the worst tariffs could be negotiated down. South Africa got leverage on some critical minerals that could also supply to the US." Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
DW
20-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Will Ramaphosa's US trip fix row with Trump? – DW – 05/20/2025
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa meets Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. Talks about new trade agreements are on the agenda, but can they reset their strained relationship? South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is in the US, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on May 21, in a crucial face-to-face talk that will set the tone for future relations between the two countries. His visit will be the first time Trump has hosted an African leader at the White House since he took office in January. Trump never visited Africa during his first term. On the other hand, Ramaphosa's last working visit to Washington was in 2022 when former US President Joe Biden was still in office. But since early 2025, relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated rapidly, driven by ideological differences, geopolitical alliances, and domestic policy conflicts. "The president's visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries," the South African presidency said in a statement. However, some analysts have warned that Ramaphosa's three-day visit is unlikely to be easy, with fears it could turn hostile or confrontational. No land confiscation in South Africa: DW's Dianne Hawker To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The objective is to try to clean up South Africa's image and remove the perception that Trump is putting forward about South Africa as a country where a genocide against white Afrikaaners is taking place", Fredson Guilengue, Regional Program Manager at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Southern Africa in Johannesburg, told DW. Refuting Trump's claims of 'genocide' against white South Africans Ramaphosa's trip comes just days after the US welcomed a group of white South African "refugees" who President Donald Trump claims are being persecuted in South Africa because of their race, and are facing a "genocide". They flew to the US on a special relocation plan and will be allowed to settle there. Ramaphosa's government denies those allegations and says whites, who own more than 70% of the land despite making up just 7% of the population, are not discriminated against. The US has welcomed white South African farmers as "refugees", whom Trump insists are fleeing persecution in South Africa Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Ramaphosa will also seek to present a new trade framework that is going to govern trade between the two countries, especially in the period post AGOA, Guilengue said. The Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), is a trade agreement between the United States and eligible sub-Saharan African countries. The deal, which expires on October 1, 2025, allows African nations to export products to the US duty-free, thereby helping the continent in its development agenda. A new US-South Africa trade deal? Trump's recent trade tariffs signaled the end of the AGOA. South Africa's automotive industry, for instance, suffers substantially from Trump's tariffs because of the high level of exports to the US, and it is expected that Ramaphosa can change the position in relation to the tariffs that Trump imposed on South Africa. Tensions were rising due to Trump's recent trade policies, which were hitting South Africa hard, but also due tothe cuts in US aid for development projects. The relationship was already strained after South Africa filed a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice in Den Hague, alleging that the Israeli military is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Another aspect of the breakdown of relations is South Africa's role within BRICS. "It threatens Americans globally and South Africa as one of the active members of the BRICS group is not seen positively by the US," Guilengue added. BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS leaders discuss dollar alternative To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video South Africans skeptical Given the tense geopolitical climate, how do South Africans view Ramaphosa's trip? "There is that minor segment in South African society that believes that it is important that Ramaphosa uses this opportunity to redress South Africa's independence, it has the right to choose partners with whom to work and define its own diplomacy", Guilengue said. He added that a larger segment of society is very skeptical about the president's meeting, knowing Trump's way of dealing with his opponents, pointing to the humiliation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy experienced while visiting Trump in the Oval Office in February. Despite hosting the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in April, Ramaphosa has not been critical of Russia's war in Ukraine Image: Phill Magakoe/AFP The South African presidency in Pretoria confirmed that Trump had initiated the invitation for Ramaphosa. Guilengue stressed that Trump might still recognize South Africa as its largest trading partner on the continent. For Daniel Silke, political analyst and Director of the Political Futures Consultancy based in Cape Town, an important factor is South Africa's leadership of the G20 this year. South Africa's role as G20-leader "The G20—despite the comments from the US and attempts to withdraw from global organizations and bodies—remains one of the most important one of these bodies", Silke told DW. It is within that context that South Africa becomes elevated in terms of global importance and therefore it is reasonable that both sides meet in Washington, he added. Ramaphosa might try to convince Trump to join the summit in November in Johannesburg, which the US President plans to boycott. Silke said Ramaphosa's visit has little to do with the refugee flight of white Afrikaners to the US. The issue will be raised, but it is not a major point in the talks, he noted. "The US is taking maverick positions on all sorts of issues and Trump, in particular, will criticize a leader one day and will then reach out the hand of friendship if it is beneficial for the US." The best way to deal with Trump is personally: "This is an issue of personal diplomacy and a personal relationship that needs to be forged even though it might be rocky," Silke explained, adding that in the end, it comes down to doing business. "For all of the chatter about tariffs it looks as the worst tariffs could be negotiated down. South Africa got leverage on some critical minerals that could also supply to the US." Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
Local Germany
07-03-2025
- General
- Local Germany
German nurseries and care facilities go on strike ahead of Women's Day
Dozens of institutions, including daycare centres (Kitas), youth and social welfare offices as well as clinics, care and social facilities, went on strike on Friday. The Education and Science Union (GEW) has also called on employees in the social and educational services to strike under the slogan 'Early Education Strike Day'. The nationwide strike in hospitals and clinics began on Thursday. This latest phase of action is timed to take place on Equal Pay Day, ahead of International Women's Day on March 8th, and will highlight the particular struggles faced by women in the care and service professions. 'It's a clear signal for pay justice and better conditions in social professions, which are often undervalued,' said Christine Behle, Verdi's deputy chairwoman, ahead of the strikes. Women in Germany not only face a 16 percent pay gap compared to their male counterparts, but often have to juggle multiple care roles in their personal and professional life, Behle explained. The Verdi deputy chairwoman also pointed out that public-sector jobs in healthcare and childcare were particularly hard hit by understaffing issues. "In the social and care professions in particular, we need significantly more employees and opportunities for flexible working hours to ensure a good work-life balance," she said. 'Systemic failure' On Thursday, Verdi and the leftwing Rosa Luxemburg Foundation presented a joint analysis highlighting the scale of the staffing crisis in nursery schools across Germany. The report, titled "Crisis in Daycare – Exposing Systemic Failure", reveals that a majority of surveyed daycare staff reported going to work while sick and completing tasks "rushed and under time pressure." "The pressure is mounting, and without support, it's only a matter of time before the system collapses completely," one Kita worker wrote in an anonymous account. Children's shoes at a Kita. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder In their analysis, the study's authors describe "untenable conditions" in Germany's nursery schools due to a lack of resources. They conclude that acute staff shortages lead to "reduced childcare hours, the closure of entire daycare groups, institutional child endangerment, and long-term illnesses." Presenting the report in Berlin, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation deputy chairman Jan Korte called on the government to set aside a dedicated fund for nursery schools. Currently, around 380,000 Kita places are missing across the country, he said, and funding for Kitas is "laughable". Ongoing public sector strikes This latest round of strike action is part of fierce negotiations over pay and conditions for public sector workers in Germany. From March 14th to 16th, Verdi is set to sit down for the next round of talks with government employers and is hoping to increase the pressure with a series of warning strikes. The union is demanding a pay increase of eight percent or at least €350 more per month for some 2.5 million public sector workers, as well as higher bonuses for working at stressful and unsociable times. The services union also wants training allowances and trainee wages to be increased by €200 per month and is demanding three additional days off work per year. So far, the employers' side has rejected these proposals, leading to a wave of public-sector strikes that have affected nursery schools, waste disposal, transport, hospitals and care facilities in Germany. Verdi has accused the federal and local governments of a "blockade" and "provocation". Alongside the strikes, demonstrations are also planned in many federal states - including Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse - on Friday.
