Changed by Donald Trump but praised in South Africa

South Africa President Cyril Ramafosa and his delegation went to Washington this week with the hope of impetus and reset after months of aggression with Donald Trump administration.

Instead, they received a brutal high -bet diplomacy, dotted with insults and playing millions around the world in real time. It was like a painful examination of the work done by the head of a strong congratulations.

Praisey of many for remains drawn up and reconciled in the face of Trump, while being criticized by some, that he has not reacted more strongly to the Tump's accusations, the reality expects Ramafosa back to South Africa, where he and his African national congress (ANC) are facing a multitude.

Anc is in a restless coalition – or a government of national unity (GNU) – with 10 other parties for almost a year, forced to share power after gloomy results in the national elections.

There are public battles between parties inside and outside the coalition because of controversial land and health law and tries to run a budget through parliament, which will raise taxes for the most vulnerable. This almost saw the end of the coalition earlier this year.

The economy is stagnant, the percentage of crime is high, as well as corruption and unemployment, public services are largely dysfunctional and the infrastructure breaks down. There seems to be very little accountability for those who violate the law.

This means inconvenient and intense questions about Ramafosa policies from different political parties as well as civil society.

In the meantime, the ANC itself is unstable, as the opposite factions began to jocate for a position before a decisive electoral conference in 2027, which is likely to see new party leader.

At the same time, Ramafosa's strongest critics, such as the leader of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema – who appeared in a prominent Trump Dossier for “Evidence” that the genocide is committed to white Africa in South Africa, as well as the former Jacob President Jacob.

Thus, Ramafosa was looking for a commercial deal, desperately needed business and stability, it would lead to South Africa to stimulate real and lasting economic growth and bring people back to work.

Ramafosa said so much about Trump on Wednesday – that investment in the United States is necessary to help deal with unemployment, which was a key factor in the high crime rate in the country.

The risk that Agoa Commercial Deal with the United States It cannot be renewed later this year because of Trump's isolationist worldview has made it even more successful. This gave duty -free access to South Africa to the US market for certain goods and has been credited to strengthening the fragile economy of South Africa.

But conversations about the trade were overshadowed by Trump's oval office because of discredited claims that white South Africans were chased.

However, there may still be a silver lining for Ramafosa and by expanding his party, at least in the country.

Yes, the list of tasks is impossible for a long time and yes, the pressure for the South Africa president to hold a coalition and a party together, which is scattered and deeply uncomfortable, will wait for him when he returns. And yes, Anc is in the most glorious position, as he came to power 30 years ago. But he is still in power, even if I share it.

Most importantly, Ramafosa's behavior with Trump reminded the South Africans of his diplomatic pedigree and his importance for the rules of the country's rules.

He, along with Nelson Mandela, the largest builder and facilitator of the Alliance in South Africa. He was at the Nervous Center for Negotiating Apartheid's racist system in the early 1990s and in maintaining South Africa together when many prophesied his fatal fracture. He remained calm, smiling and facing far more adversaries before.

He just recently made the country out of the darkness “Capture the state” Years of the Zum's administration and then through the difficult Covid locks. And he also held ank on his feet – just – when he embarked on home after the 2024 election. He then took an early Ant to coalition policy and survived as a president, despite opposing his own party.

“I believe that if a poll was made today, we will see that his personal ratings rise,” says South Africa editor and founder of Explance.co.za Verashni Pillay.

“He is distinguished in these high-pressure situations. He has this extensive experience in negotiating in controversial environments, where there was real blood and immediate civil war on the streets. Therefore, you have seen him look particularly calm. He is masterful in the spread of tensions at key moments.”

Studies constantly refer to the effect of Ramaphosis – most recently The Social Research Foundation last month, which suggests that without it, Anka would support support even more than it has already been, despite the equally consistent criticism of South Africa President, that he is too slow and indecisive to deal with the largest problems in the country. To a large extent, this is still the case.

But this week, seemingly designed to harass, mock and disturb Ramafosa around the world, actually reminded many South Africans of what he brings to the government and the country – a constant, stable and predictable center.

“I think what happened in the oval office has intensified the idea” if not Ramafosa, then who? “Says Piley.

In fact, some believe that what the South Africans have seen in the White House will actually strengthen GNU – supported, as is the big business, which will eventually calm the South Africans who have watched the drama.

“The meeting showed a united front from South Africa, a public-private performance that has been promoting the country for more than a decade. This for GNU is a major political theater that is translated into political capital,” says Itumeleng McGella, a political analyst at the University of Pretoria.

And really the optics were everything there. Ramafosa made it easier for a passionate rebuttal to the worst of Trump's misinformation through interventions by his partner at GNU leader – the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Stenhuyzen – and one of the richest people in South Africa, Johan Rupert, both white southern Africans. If Trump understands the power of performance and Ramafosa.

“I think GNU comes out of it seems quite strong,” Piley says. “GNU happened in a really good moment for South Africa before this crisis. If it was only the Ant government in the room (Ramafosa's arguments) would not land. But if we can say that we have these parties that represent white people in the government is such a strong statement.”

So, what does all this mean to those of the end flanks of South African politics and discourse?

After the lights darkened, Julius Malema was shown by Trump, who sings a song that some say they are calling for the murder of white farmers, although the court ruled it was just political rhetoric. Can he reap the domestic political capital from being brought into the spotlight?

Yes, say some. “For that in the countery that are quite Tired of the Diatribe from President Trump and the Us… This will likely strengthen Malema (and) Parties Like Been IT'll Basically Been: 'Leeing Backwards for Such Individuals and Lies, '”Says South African Political Analyst Proff Kagiso” TK “Pooe from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

But Pilee disagrees.

“This will not become a political power for the malem. Most of its best leaders are already defective on the MK Party of Jacob ZumaS Things didn't look good about EFR, even before Wednesday. The brand of Julius Malema's policy that she wants everything to burn, to blame the white people for everything … It's fun, but she has not won votes because most South Africans do not want their country to be burned. “

Having said this, there is a significant group of South Africans who want a faster and more radical change -the results of the MK Party election, a torn fraction of the ANC, show this.

And what about Afriforum – the Africani Interest Group, which has been pulling into the ears of Trump's supporters for several years, lobbying and spreading right propaganda, hoping to be heard?

Trump's discredited audio-visual presentation of what he said that the systematic extermination of Africaner's white farmers is the high water note of their lobby efforts, as reinforced, as they were in the oval office.

However, despite the extremely high levels of violence in South Africa, many are angry with the group. “In a sense, I think that many South Africans – even those who do not support the ANC – can finally see that there are certain people who are not for South Africa. These people have been separated and this is positive in some way,” says Prof.

“We know that a large number of African speakers are people in color,” says Pilee. “Afriforum struck a serious blow to the cause of Africani in South Africa by racial it.”

Afriforum's Kallie Kriel Has Defended The Group's Conduct on a Local Television Channel, Newzroom Afrika: “It was wagting genocidal Calls for Someone Too Be Killed The Americans that you don't know what's going on, they will see that as an insult because they have an embassy in south africa and a state department and intelligence services, “He Said.

As the dust precipitates from the drama on Wednesday, Ramafosa will watch and calculate. He was consistently at the center of the key flexion points in South Africa, when some kind of tearing happened and the country had to change the course dramatically. He reads these moments so well.

Raising Wednesday at Trump's White House may not have been the economic and diplomatic reset with the United States, which it hoped, but it can still mark a dramatic reset for Ramafosa and GNU with the South African public.

An additional reassessment by canceling in Johannesburg