Ramaphosa missed chance to reshape image of South Africa

WHEN diplomacy meets drama, perception often becomes policy. On May 21, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa entered the Oval Office with an opportunity to reshape South Africa's image as a global gateway to Africa.

- Anda Mbikwana

Instead, he left with the narrative dictated by Donald Trump and headlines dominated by unproven claims of a “white genocide”. What should have been a calculated moment of soft power deployment turned into a textbook case of diplomatic inertia in the face of performative politics.

In what many expected to be a reconciliatory meeting aimed at re-establishing commercial and geopolitical ties, Ramaphosa was confronted with inflammatory visuals and commentary from President Trump.

The US president, known for his theatrical tactics and populist posturing, dimmed the lights and presented a video montage of anti-white chants and cross-covered memorials, alleging state-sanctioned violence against white farmers. The spectacle was designed not to illuminate, but to provoke - and it worked. But what followed was even more concerning: silence.

While Trump was playing to his base with his usual flair for controversy, Ramaphosa missed a statesman’s moment: the chance to reframe the narrative firmly, factually, and boldly.

This was not merely about setting the record straight on rural crime statistics or land reform. This was about telling the world what South Africa is today - and more importantly, what it aspires to be.