Cape Town – ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the United States’ military operation in Venezuela, which saw forces capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, but said South Africa faces no threat of a similar attack.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 31st annual Joe Slovo commemoration in Soweto on Tuesday, Ramaphosa described the US action as a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
He emphasised that differences with other countries, including the United States, should be resolved through dialogue.
“We are not worried about an invasion of South Africa, not at all. I think we are way far from anything like that, and in the end, the United States is an important country in the world.
“We’ve always believed that any differences with whichever country, including the United States, need to be discussed. We need to sit down and find solutions,” Ramaphosa said, referencing the Madiba doctrine used by Nelson Mandela.
ANC President responds to US President Donald Trumps actions against Venezuela’s President.
He says he is not worried about the US invading SA. #eNCA #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/Ndy2BCo4el— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) January 6, 2026
“We follow the Madiba doctrine that there is no problem without a solution, and the best way of dealing with problems, whether in a country or in the world, is where parties sit down together. It is through this doctrine that Nelson Mandela led us to an end to the nightmare of apartheid. A doctrine of engagement, discussion, [negotiations],” Ramaphosa said.
South Africa’s acting deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Jonathan Passmoor, told the first Security Council meeting of 2026 on Monday that the US action violated Venezuela’s territorial integrity and political independence.
“Failure to act decisively against such violations is tantamount to inviting anarchy, and normalising the use of force as the main form of discourse in international politics,” he said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
