Defiant Ramaphosa's SONA 'declares war' on Trump's US foreign policy, South Africans to face the consequences (VIDEO)

CAPE TOWN – President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a measured but firm response to US President Donald Trump's recent attacks on South Africa during his 10th State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday night.

The address comes after Trump threatened to cut funding to the country, echoing criticisms of South Africa's Expropriation Act and making unsubstantiated claims of mistreatment of certain groups.

Without providing any evidence, Trump claimed that “South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly,” referring to the new law signed by Ramaphosa and aimed at addressing racial disparities in land ownership.

Adding to the pressure, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would boycott the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November, stating that South Africa "is doing very bad things.”

While Ramaphosa did not directly mention Trump or Rubio during his Sona, he addressed rising global tensions and defended South Africa's sovereignty. "We must chart this path in a world that is rapidly changing. It is a world of both interdependence and competition, of cooperation and conflict," Ramaphosa stated. "It is a multipolar world in which new countries are emerging to play a greater role in global affairs. We are seeing intensifying competition over trade, technology and influence in global institutions."

He continued, "In the face of these challenges, we are witnessing the rise of nationalism and protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests and the decline of common cause. This is the world that we, as a developing economy, must now navigate. But we are not daunted. We will not be deterred. We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied. We will stand together as a united nation and we will speak with one voice in defence of our national interests, our sovereignty and our constitutional democracy."

Ramaphosa acknowledged that the government had spent much of the week defending the country’s reputation and legal processes following Trump's announcement on Truth Social that he would cut all US funding to South Africa.

“As South Africans, we stand for peace and justice, for equality and solidarity. We stand for non-racialism and democracy, for tolerance and compassion," Ramaphosa declared. "We stand for equal rights for women, for persons with disability, and for members of the LGBTQI+ community. We stand for our shared humanity, not for the survival of the fittest. So, this evening, let us speak of the nation we want.”

The Sona took place as South Africa celebrated 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter at the Congress of the People in Kliptown. Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of the Charter, stating, “The Freedom Charter is the cornerstone of our democratic Constitution. It sets out a vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa. It sets out a vision of a country in which government is founded on the will of the people.”

Acknowledging the challenges facing the nation, Ramaphosa stated that South Africa has overcome significant hurdles in the past, including apartheid, “a crime against humanity that denied people their human rights, that deprived them of their land and livelihoods, that sought to strip them of their dignity.” He identified the country’s biggest and most urgent challenge as rapidly increasing its annual GDP growth rate.

Ramaphosa outlined South Africa’s plans and priorities for the next five years under the Government of National Unity (GNU), highlighting it as a collaborative effort among political parties to prioritise the country’s progress. Over the next five years, the government plans to spend more than R940 billion on infrastructure, including R375 billion on state-owned companies.