President Cyril Ramaphosa Considers Action Against Groups Seeking US Intervention in South Africa

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has weighed in on the calls for action to be taken against groups that approached the Donald Trump administration
• Lobby groups travelled to the United States of America, where they urged officials to intervene in South Africa over some of the policies
• Some South Africans supported the actions of the groups, while others labelled it as treasonous and called for something to be done

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, 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.

NORTH WEST – President Cyril Ramaphosa has not ruled out taking action against groups that appealed to the United States of America to intervene in South Africa.

Organisations such as AfriForum and Solidarity have previously approached the US, where they met with members of the Donald Trump administration to take action against the South African government, over what they called racial laws and policies.

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In February 2025, AfriForum announced that it would write an official letter to the US government, requesting that sanctions be imposed directly on senior leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and not on South African residents.

The move sparked division in the country, with some supporting the groups’ actions, while others labelled it as treasonous.

What did Ramaphosa say about the situation?

Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s birthday celebrations in the North West, the president did not rule out the possibility of the government acting against the groups.

While addressing the media on Wednesday, 7 January 2025, Ramaphosa stressed that the government was aware of the growing calls for some form of action to be taken.

"We continue to examine all matters very carefully and with due diligence and due process. We are not a type of government that acts outside due process.

"We act in terms of what the law process requires. So, all those matters will be addressed," Ramaphosa said.

Why were the groups unhappy?

The groups approached the US, unhappy over some of the country's policies, which they argued threatened the rights of Afrikaners. AfriForum was particularly unhappy with the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and Expropriation Bill.

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They wanted the US to pressure the ANC to enact changes to the policies, a move that caused tension within the country. The decision to approach the US also coincided with Trump's claims that a certain section of the population were being treated unfairly and being persecuted.

Other stories about the appeals for intervention in South Africa

Briefly News reported that there have been various stories about appeals made for intervention in the country, and the reactions to these calls.

• AfriForum faced backlash in February 2025 for supporting Donald Trump’s claims about South Africa, with some accusing the organisation of treason.
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wanted both AfriForum and Solidarity to be declared domestic terrorist organisations.
• The US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced, giving the US more tools to impose sanctions on South African leaders.

Source: Briefly News