Julius Malema Slams Cyril Ramaphosa’s US Trip As Delegation Departs for Washington

• President Cyril Ramaphosa departed from South Africa with his delegation and is expected to arrive in the United States later on 19 May 2025
• Ramaphosa, Ministers Ronald Lamola, John Steenhuisen, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Parks Tau are expected to meet Donald Trump on 21 May 2025
• Economic Freedom Fighter president Julius Malema slammed the visit, and said it was ill-timed in light of the budget speech that will be tabled this week

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international relations, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG — President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation of ministers departed South Africa on 19 May 2025 for Washington, United States, for Ramaphosa's meeting with US President Donald Trump. The president of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, slammed Ramaphosa's visit and called it ill-timed.

Cyril Ramaphosa jets to the US

According to SABC News, Ramaphosa is expected to address issues, including the alleged white genocide, of which Trump has accused the South African government. He is also expected to discuss geopolitical matters like the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, while seeking to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries.

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau have accompanied Ramaphosa on the visit.

Julius Malema is not happy

Malema criticised Ramaphosa's visit. In a video the EFF posted on its @EFFSouthAfrica X account in which he visited Abathembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo on 18 May, he said Ramaphosa's visit was badly timed because the budget speech was to be presented in Parliament for a third time. This was after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's two attempts at tabling a budget speech were rejected and ultimately scrapped.

"You cannot leave your country in crisis and go to America, where you will be ill-treated. He's going to be ill-treated. He will not be given the necessary respect and that's what Americans do," he said.

Malema said that if Ramaphosa wants the United States to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa would have to compromise on fundamental policies in the country. These include the country's position on Palestine and the Israeli Embassy. The Red Berets leader said there are no Afrikaners who have been killed in a white genocide. He also said there are no 49 Afrikaners who relocated to the United States.

"If those people are farmers, that means there are 49 farms available. Why are we not appropriating them? Nobody left farming in South Africa," he said.

View the X video here:

What you need to know about Cyril Ramaphosa

• President Ramaphosa is expected to engage Donald Trump about the refugee offer he made to Afrikaners, and insisted that there was no persecution of Afrikaners
• Trump said he would boycott the G20 Summit unless the South African government addresses the genocide allegedly happening in the country
• A young Afrikaner showed respect when he took his cap off during a meet-and-greet with Ramaphosa
• AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel hit back against Ramaphosa after the president called the 49 Afrikaners in the US cowards
• Ramaphosa said that he was not expecting hostility from the United States president during his visit to Washington

John Steenhuisen weighs in on 49 Afrikaners in the US

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Steenhuisen gave his view on the Afrikaners who left South Africa for the United States. He said they were making a mistake.

Steenhuisen spoke at the Nampo Harvest Day in Bothaville, Free State, on 16 May and said the country is on the cusp of great things with the Government of National Unity. He also said no land has been expropriated, and no Afrikaner has been persecuted.

Source: Briefly News