Cape Town – EFF leader Julius Malema has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa for South Africa’s response to rising diplomatic hostility from US President Donald Trump.
His comments come as tensions over alleged human rights abuses and South Africa’s G20 participation continue to deepen.
South Africa’s relationship with Washington deteriorated after Trump accused the country of “doing very bad things” and made unsubstantiated claims of a “white genocide” targeting white farmers in South Africa.
These allegations have been widely debunked internationally, and rejected by South African officials and analysts.
During a media briefing this week, Malema acknowledged Ramaphosa’s measured diplomatic approach following a series of high-stakes interactions with the US.
“Ramaphosa handled this saga very well. If it were me, it would have been worse,” Malema said, describing the president’s response as striking “a balance” between diplomacy and resistance.
He added, “The guy handled that thing very well, very successfully, in a situation where he was confronted by serious hostility. It’s not easy to fight America. It has never been easy.”
EFF leader Julius Malema has slammed US President Donald Trump, branding him a fool, while he has also said President Cyril Ramaphosa deserves credit for how he handled the G20 impasse with the US. pic.twitter.com/HSa3YDoxmC
— IOL News (@IOL) December 11, 2025
The diplomatic strain culminated in the United States pulling back from commitments to attend and fully participate in this year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, prompting South Africa to take what the presidency described as a “commercial break” from G20 activities until the presidency rotates next year.
Despite his praise for Ramaphosa’s handling of the situation, Malema reiterated that the EFF would pursue a different, more confrontational approach. He sharply criticised Trump’s behaviour and rhetoric, arguing that Washington’s stance was driven not by South Africa’s rhetoric but by its foreign policy positions, especially its criticism of Israel and actions at the International Court of Justice.
“There’s no one who doesn’t want us in the G20 except this fool… We are a founding member of the G20, and no one is going to push us away,” Malema declared, dismissing the idea that the diplomatic breakdown was due to EFF-related controversies.
Malema also invoked strong language against Trump, comparing his unilateral diplomatic moves to historical totalitarianism: “His attempt at unilaterally inviting and uninviting countries to the G20… further confirms the assessment that Donald Trump is the new Hitler…,” Malema said, underscoring the depth of the EFF’s opposition to the US position.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
