President Ramaphosa Flags Africa’s Energy Vulnerabilities Amid Middle East Conflict, Citizens Debate
- President Cyril Ramaphosa discussed how the ongoing conflict in the Middle East was impacting the African continent
- The South African President said that events like these reiterated the need for regional and continental energy security
- South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the ongoing conflict and the African National Congress's stance on it
Source: Getty Images
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.
WESTERN CAPE – President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the instability in the global energy markets, as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, was exposing Africa’s vulnerabilities.
The South African president made the comment on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, at the 18th Annual Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town. Speaking to attendees at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Ramaphosa said that the African continent was feeling the effects of the escalating conflict.
The region has been thrown into conflict following a joint military operation in Iran by the United States and Israel. The two countries attacked Iran on 28 February, sparking retaliatory attacks aimed at several countries within the Persian Gulf.
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What did Ramaphosa say?
Discussing the ongoing tensions in the region, the president noted that supply chain disruptions and rising energy prices were placing a strain on African economies.
“Now, we are going to be a victim of conflicts that are taking place far away from where we are. As we have seen with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and during the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting geopolitical sands underscore the vulnerabilities of import-dependent economies across our continent,” he said.
He added that events like these reiterated the need for regional and continental energy security.
“This is when we need to wake up, as we have all had to wake up in the light of what was announced during Liberation Day, when tariffs were applied across many countries in the world. “What did that do? It woke us all up, and we realised that we now need to diversify our market space,” he stated.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans react to Ramaphosa’s statement
Social media users shared mixed reactions to Ramaphosa’s statement, with many using the moment to criticise him and the African National Congress government.
David Blyth recalled:
“We had the same in 1973 with the closing of the Suez Canal.”
John Msiza stated:
“Ramaphosa’s ANC is on the wrong side of history, as the Iran crisis enters decisive weeks. Ramaphosa’s ANC stance, global risks, human rights, and economic impacts are explained clearly. The Iranian regime’s confrontation with the West was inevitable. Ramaphosa’s ANC has badly misjudged events by aligning itself with a dictatorship accused of massacring its own people. The next three to five weeks will be critical for Iran, the Middle East and the global economy, with major implications for oil, BRICS and South Africa’s foreign policy.”
Kobie Nieuwenhuis exclaimed:
“Too late, Cyril. You sided with a terrorist regime that killed its own people”
Saga Moodley said:
“Calling for an immediate cease-fire.”
Sibusiso Motshwene claimed:
“Ramaphosa and ANC failed South Africa.”
South Africa calls for dialogue after US and Israeli strikes
Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa called for urgent dialogue and maximum restraint amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The South African president stressed that anticipatory self-defence was not permitted under the United Nations Charter and urged all parties to comply with international law.
Ramaphosa said that sustainable peace could only be achieved through inclusive negotiations and intensified mediation efforts, not military confrontation.
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Source: Briefly News
