President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump have taken steps to mend strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United States.
According to The Sunday Times, the two leaders agreed during a recent phone call to meet in person within the next three months, possibly on the sidelines of an upcoming US-Africa summit.
The diplomatic rift began after Trump criticized South Africa’s land reform policies, particularly the Expropriation Act, claiming “terrible things” were happening in the country.
He also offered Afrikaner farmers refuge in the US, alleging they were being forced off their land. Tensions escalated further when the US expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool.
The breakthrough in discussions came ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s state visit to South Africa this week. Zelensky cut his trip short following a Russian air strike on Kyiv.
This will mark the first face-to-face meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump since the latter’s election and the first since the fallout over the Expropriation Act, which seeks to address historical land imbalances in South Africa.
Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, confirmed the planned meeting, stating, “Both President Ramaphosa and President Trump have agreed on the need to meet soon and to work on resetting the bilateral relationship. At a personal level, both presidents interact in a cordial and friendly manner.”
Magwenya added that there is mutual interest in normalizing relations, with trade, political ties, and the Russia-Ukraine war also discussed during their call.