The South African president Cyril Ramaphosa responded to recent threats by President Trump by saying his country would “not be bullied” in a speech. It was seen as a reaction to Trump’s cut of funding to South Africa, but Ramaphosa didn’t mention Trump by name. This remark was made in South Africa’s version of a State of the Union address, and was met by cheers by Parliament and other attendees. Trump has stated he will stop funding due to South Africa allegedly confiscating land and treating lower classes less favorably, however he did not say which classes or provide evidence for South Africa’s alleged human rights violations. The law has been defended by Ramaphosa saying it targeted unused or redistributable land, and they claim that no land has been taken. Both Trump and his advisor Elon Musk have criticized South Africa’s government, and were met with claims of misinformation by Ramaphosa’s spokesperson. The rest of the 90 minute speech was largely about domestic affairs, and Ramaphosa has promised to bolster the economy and find ways to counter Trump’s 90 day freeze on global aid, which will endanger the millions of dollars that the U.S puts toward the South African HIV/AIDS crisis.
This could be taken in multiple ways. For one, Ramaphosa not referring to Trump by name is a not so subtle disapproval. Trump’s cut of all funding will almost certainly hurt South Africa, so it is within the country’s best interests to not allow this, as confirmed by Ramaphosa’s statement. South Africa also struggles with HIV/AIDS, and the funding to counter it is vital for the people still suffering from the disease. As a result, the 90 day freeze Trump has imposed will inevitably cause problems. Trump’s inaccurate claims and unsupported allegations no doubt weaken his argument for cutting funding, and will make it possibly easier for South Africa to fight back.
South Africa, now that its funding is being threatened to be cut, will have to get funding from other places. Ramaphosa made claims that during his presidency, he will improve South African infrastructure in order to bolster the economy. This will be difficult given that you need money to build things, and a portion of South Africa’s money will be disappearing. South Africa will either need to fend for itself or get money from different countries. The sub-Saharan country is a strategic ally of the U.S. Cutting funding is a hurtful move from the U.S and it will most likely cause strain on their relationship. Considering international security, this will make South Africa feel weaker and may even turn to China for assistance.