South Africa needs to restore dignified diplomacy

THE tragedy of the last 30 years is that freedom has become bureaucratic, and the narrative of truth has become a slimy vortex of pay-for-play politics.

- LORENZO A DAVIDS

I watched President Cyril Ramaphosa's malignant performance at the White House several times and felt a severe disillusionment with our politicians. Nelson Mandela would not have laughed. He would not have acted surprised. He would not have tolerated lies. And most of all, he would not have tolerated the disrespect of others in the room. He would have got up and led his team out of the room.

Fearing a Zelensky-type humiliation, Ramaphosa delivered his multiple thank-you messages up front and quickly to appease the president and his one-act specialist, JD Vance. Thereafter, Ramaphosa sat and watched President Donald Trump insult him, his parliament and his country by spewing forth a narrative of lies.

A meek comment here and there, but the vituperative White House bureaucracy took complete control of both our freedom narrative and our politics.