Diplomatic Tightrope: Appeasing Trump Will Deepen the Erosion of South Africa's Sovereignty

Dr. Reneva Fourie

President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded a three-day trip to the United States, which included engagements with President Trump. Despite ongoing disagreements about the issues facing Afrikaners in South Africa, this visit helped to improve the political and economic ties between the two countries. However, some people remain doubtful as to whether the outcomes of the meeting truly serve the interests of the majority of South Africans.

South Africa needs to be careful when dealing with a powerful yet unpredictable figure like Donald Trump. It is important for the country to stand by its core values of independence, equality and dignity. However, it is also wise to avoid upsetting a leader of a strong country without a good reason. Effective diplomacy means engaging strategically without giving up on your principles. Unfortunately, the South African government may still be working towards fully grasping this idea.

While appreciating that it was a government delegation and not an African National Congress (ANC) one, the inclusion of Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, in President Ramaphosa’s delegation to meet with Donald Trump is a case in point. It reeks not of diplomatic dexterity but of political naïveté. Steenhuisen lacks the capacity to transcend his propensity for playing narrow party politics and to express a confident South African viewpoint on global matters. Likewise, including Johan Rupert and Ernie Els in the delegation conveys a sense of pleading for approval.

This attitude reflects a deeper issue rooted in the history of mental colonisation, in which the influence of foreign perspectives has shaped how we see ourselves. The ANC, once a proud liberation movement that boldly declared itself the leader of society, now appears riddled with individuals still trapped in a mindset of inferiority. Rather than standing tall and speaking on behalf of the South African people with pride and clarity, too many within the leadership adopt the posture of appeasers, reminiscent of colonial collaborators rather than the heirs of liberation giants.

At the same time, the DA is ready to take advantage of any weaknesses in the ANC’s leadership. Every mistake by the ANC gives the DA a chance to push its agenda, which focuses on reducing government involvement in development and promoting a free-market economy. The DA has proven that it is more than willing to leverage South Africa’s domestic and international challenges to its advantage, even if it means colluding, directly or indirectly, with forces that undermine national dignity and social justice.

This kind of behaviour has contributed to our current diplomatic problems. The DA, with allies like AfriForum and similar right-wing pressure groups, has long been engaged in a campaign to internationalise South Africa’s domestic disputes – particularly around issues like land reform and crime – framing them in alarmist, racially charged narratives designed to appeal to conservative audiences abroad, especially in the US.

 This is the context in which Trump’s sudden aggression against South Africa has piqued. Right-wing forces, indirectly supported by the DA, fed the misinformation mill that ultimately led to Trump’s inflammatory tweets and statements about the country. President Ramaphosa’s charm enabled him to navigate a difficult media briefing, in which Trump reaffirmed this misperception. Ramaphosa’s team appeared uncoordinated and ill-prepared to respond to the uncontextualized clippings and fake staging of mass graves. 

In the short term, South Africa may benefit from temporary relief. Should the meeting with Trump result in easing trade restrictions or some other superficial diplomatic gain, the DA will undoubtedly claim it as a victory. Ramaphosa, in turn, may present it as evidence of effective diplomacy. But this would be a dangerous illusion. What will remain unclear is the extent of the concessions made. If the press briefings were anything to go by, a deal with Musk about Starlink appears inevitable. 

The actual cost of such appeasement will be measured not in sound bites or headlines but in the deepening erosion of South Africa’s sovereignty and the growing precarity of its working class and poor. As neoliberal policies continue to take root, social protections are being dismantled piece by piece. The long-standing promises of the Freedom Charter and post-apartheid reconstruction are being abandoned in favour of fiscal conservatism, deregulation, and privatisation. The state is slowly but surely withdrawing from its commitment to social justice, and the poorest South Africans will pay the highest price.

Ramaphosa’s decisions appear to create the political space for the DA and its economic ideology to gain traction. By pandering to the whims of the Trumps, Ruperts and Steenhuisens of this world, he is enabling the promotion of policies favouring capital over communities and alienating the base that once saw the ANC as the vehicle for transformation. In doing so, the ANC is weakened, and the way for a future in which the DA, or a DA-led coalition, might inherit the levers of power is being paved.

In light of this situation, the Left in South Africa needs to come together and strengthen its presence. Those who are working class, unemployed, living in rural areas, or marginalised can’t count on others to protect their interests. The Left must offer a principled, coherent, and practical alternative to resist the neoliberal onslaught and construct a new vision for a just and equitable society. This will require unity, strategy, and grassroots mobilisation. 

The road ahead is uncertain, and the political terrain is treacherous. But one thing is clear: South Africa cannot afford to be led by those who bow before power, whether foreign or domestic. Nor can it be silent in the face of betrayal by those bestowed with the authority to protect its interests. The challenge of our time is to resist dangerous figures like Trump or ideologically bankrupt parties like the DA and reclaim a politics rooted in justice, dignity, and sovereignty. Only then can we begin to build the South Africa we were promised.

* Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development and security.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.