Cyril Ramaphosa Attends UN General Assembly in New York, South Africans Question His Priorities
- President Cyril Ramaphosa and a delegation of ministers are currently in the United States of America
- The delegation will attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80)
- South Africans expressed frustration over the delegation's visit to the US, questioning its priorities
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
NEW YORK – President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in the United States of America for the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), but his visit has sparked mixed reactions online.
The South African president arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in the early hours of Monday, 22 September 2025.
Ramaphosa is expected to speak at the General Debate on Tuesday, 23 September 2025. The UNGA80 will take place in New York from 23 to 29 September 2025. He is joined by a delegation of ministers as well.
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What will Ramaphosa be speaking about?
According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa’s speech at the General Debate will champion the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the unwavering protection of human rights for all.
Ramaphosa and his delegation will address urgent international issues, such as the ongoing genocide in Gaza, conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the war in Ukraine.
“South Africa will leverage its proven reputation as a trusted mediator to build bridges between opposing sides and advocate for dialogue over discord,” the Presidency said.
South Africa will also push for the comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative, democratic, and effective.
President Ramaphosa and his delegation will also participate in various meetings, including one to focus on the two-state solution in Israel/Palestine.
Who else is joining Ramaphosa?
The Presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa would be accompanied by several ministers, who will take part in the high-level meetings.
The delegation includes the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau; Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa; Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chukunga; Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi; Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, and Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele.
One of the meetings the delegation is expected to attend is the Trade and Investment discussions with leading US captains of Industry and other key decision makers.
While the meeting is set to focus on trade and investment discussions, the delegation is not expected to meet with Donald Trump over his tariffs. The President of the US hit South Africa with a 30% tariff, the highest of any sub-Saharan country.
How did South Africans react to Ramaphosa’s US visit?
In social media fashion, some didn’t read why the president was visiting the country and instead shared mixed reactions to him being out of the country again.
Amy-Anne Binedell said:
“When he became president, I had happy tears. I truly believed he would save our country. The joke is on all of us.”
Mpendulo Wethu Sonke noted:
“I don't need to read the comments because I already know they criticised the trip. They said ANC councillors are not working, and when he said the same thing, they still criticised him.”
Refilwe Motaung stated:
“I've never seen a travelling President like Ramaphosa. With the money he uses to travel, he was supposed to fix the roads and create jobs.”
Verna Wessels asked:
“Is he going to beg?”
Deon Steyn questioned:
“Asking for funding again?”
Tumelő EM stated:
“He's everywhere. He never stays in his country.”
Dakalo Gerald Mafuka added:
“Our tourist president. I'm sure his photo gallery is packed with moments saved from our tax money.”
Christopher Boreham laughed:
“Can't even fix his own country, now he wants to fix the world🤣.”
Belinda Jacobs agreed:
“He should stop flying around to other countries and solve the problems in his own country.”
Ramaphosa and Trump discuss trade agreement
Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa called Trump to discuss trade matters on Wednesday, 6 August 2025.
Ramaphosa confirmed that the respective trade negotiating teams will continue discussions about a potential deal.
South Africans shared their thoughts on the call, asking for more details about what was discussed.
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Source: Briefly News
