Floyd Shivambu, Secretary-General of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has launched a scathing attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling his recent visit to the United States “an embarrassment to South Africa.”
In a fiery statement delivered Sunday, Shivambu condemned Ramaphosa’s May 21 meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, accusing him of behaving like a “colonial clerk” and offering South Africa’s rare earth minerals without defending the country’s dignity.
“South Africa deserves a leader who asserts our sovereignty, not one who bows to foreign powers,” Shivambu declared.
🤝 Diplomatic Calm Meets Political Fire
During the meeting, Ramaphosa maintained a measured tone, including when responding to Trump’s controversial remark about a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa—a narrative widely discredited but often invoked by far-right groups abroad.
While Ramaphosa calmly rebutted the claim, Shivambu criticized the president’s approach as weak and submissive, arguing that it failed to confront the broader issue of global racial injustice.
🇿🇦 Rising Tensions Ahead of Election Season
The remarks from Shivambu reflect rising political tensions as the MK Party continues to position itself as a bold alternative to the ANC-led government. By framing Ramaphosa’s foreign diplomacy as sellout behavior, Shivambu is appealing to nationalist and pan-Africanist sentiments amid a volatile pre-election climate.
Whether Ramaphosa’s reserved diplomacy or Shivambu’s combative rhetoric will resonate more with voters remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: South Africa’s global image is now firmly in the political crosshairs.
