BRACE FOR LIFE WITHOUT US RELATIONS

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s State visit to the White House in the US will linger in the minds of many for a considerable period, not because of the drama that unfolded, but its outcomes or lack thereof.

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For a moment, forget the sideshow drama that played out, and focus on the mission at hand.

That was to reset strained relations with the Trump administration, which became too hostile towards South Africa largely because tech billionaire Elon Musk wanted to bypass local laws to have his Starlink operating in the country, among other reasons.

Whether that objective was achieved or not was not going to be based on the spoken word following the meeting, but on what decisions both sides took towards reviving their fractured relations.