United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday issued a sharply worded statement warning that America’s patience with South Africa and the country’s open defiance of the US has reached breaking point.
Rubio’s statement makes it clear that America’s judgement of South Africa is no longer mere diplomatic sparring – it is the condemnation of a government that has tested the patience of the world’s superpower to the limit.
Among other things, Rubio points out that under ANC rule, South Africa’s government has systematically displayed anti-American sentiments, a trend that has worsened in recent years.
Even after President Donald Trump’s personal message to President Ramaphosa at the White House on 21 May this year, the South African government did not make a single concession, but persisted in defying the US instead.
In his statement, Rubio speaks frankly about the ANC’s radical agendas, corruption, spiteful grievance politics and victim mentality, which demonstrate how South Africa’s leadership is not only failing its own people, but also attempting to undermine the US.
Rubio describes the recently concluded G20 in South Africa as an “exercise in spite, division and radical agendas”. President Ramaphosa responded with great bravado, however, hailing it as a “triumph”.
President Ramaphosa was “critical” of President Trump’s decision to exclude South Africa from the next G20, dismissed Trump’s claims about violence against Afrikaners and expropriation without compensation as “untrue”, and pretended he had put America in its place through South Africa’s conduct.
The media – from CNN to local publishers – loudly applauded this “bravado”, praising him for taking a “brave stance” against Trump.
It was conveniently omitted that under South Africa’s chairmanship, the G20 focused on climate change, diversity and aid dependency rather than economic growth. These agendas have nothing to do with actual, tangible prosperity.
Rubio describes this attitude as “naïve and self-destructive”. If Ramaphosa and the ANC think they can intimidate Trump and the US – or “put them in their place” – by befriending terrorists and engaging in diplomatic sabotage, they are mistaken.
Rubio further states that South Africa entered the post-Cold War era with “strong institutions, excellent infrastructure and global goodwill” under Nelson Mandela.
“Sadly, Mandela’s successors have replaced reconciliation with redistributionist policies that discouraged investment and drove South Africa’s most talented citizens abroad.
“Racial quotas have crippled the private sector, while corruption bankrupts the state. Rather than take responsibility for its failings, the radical ANC-led South African government has sought to scapegoat its own citizens and the United States.”
He says that for these reasons, the US has decided to close the door on South Africa until South Africa makes the tough decision to change. Only then will the US “have a seat for it at our table”.
Over the past few years, South Africa kept “cozying to America’s greatest adversaries”. Close ties have been forged with Iran, Hamas sympathisers have been entertained and, according to America, weapons were even supplied to Russia during the Ukraine war.
After the US warned South Africa in 2024 about illegal arms shipments to Russia, the ANC persisted with its so-called policy of “non-alignment” – merely a cover for pro-Russian and pro-Iranian collaboration.
South Africa charged Israel with genocide at the International Criminal Court while ignoring Hamas’s terror. In addition, South Africa’s former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was openly hostile to America.
The worse things became in South Africa, the less the ANC government wanted to take responsibility for the country’s economic decline, corruption or race-based quotas crippling every sector. Now even America is being blamed for the ANC’s failures.
South Africa must heed this wake-up call from America. The ANC has to abandon its radical approach or South Africa will increasingly be marginalised.
Indien die ANC nie tot ander insigte kan kom nie, lê die finale antwoord by die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek om by die stembus die nodige verandering te bring om Suid-Afrika weer in ‘n wenland te omskep.
