African Transformation Movement (ATM) president Vuyo Zungula sharply criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to the United States of America, which aimed to ease diplomatic tensions and boost trade relations between the two countries.
Ramaphosa and his delegation met with the US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this week.
During the meeting, Trump showed a video falsely claiming it depicted a mass grave for white farmers.
He also played clips of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and others singing the struggle song “Dubula ibhunu,” which he claimed was evidence that white farmers were being persecuted in South Africa
Ramaphosa denied these claims, saying that the government does not support such views and insisted that violence affects all communities in the country.
Despite what has been described as an “ambush”, Ramaphosa said the talks went well and expressed hope that Trump would attend the G20 summit in South Africa in December.
“My takeaway from that is that G20 participation by the United States is going to be happening. So I’m particularly pleased with that,” he said.
“We are making no apology as the ATM and MK Party when we say, we are not a colony of the USA under the leadership of @ATMovement_SA and @MkhontoweSizwex you’ll never see a president going to America and having to explain why are we taking decisions” Vuyo Zungula pic.twitter.com/9TfGA8sZdd
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) May 24, 2025
Addressing thousands of party supporters in Mangaung at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, Zungula criticised the visit, saying South Africa was not a colony of the US.
“We make no apology as the ATM and the MK [uMkhonto weSizwe party] when we say South Africa is not a colony of the United States. Under the leadership of ATM and MK, you will never see a president flying to America to justify our domestic decisions,” Zungula said
He also accused the government of going to beg and plead for approval from the US instead of standing firm on South Africa’s sovereignty.
“What kind of sovereign country goes to another to beg and explain how it runs its affairs? This government has normalised the abnormal.”
“We are a sovereign country under our leadership the laws we make will be interests of our people and we will not go to any other country to explain. We are a sovereign nation. Under our leadership, the laws we make will serve the interests of our people and we will not answer to any other country.”
previously reported that in a statement on Thursday, the African National Congress (ANC) praised Ramaphosa’s engagement with Trump as a victory.
“President Ramaphosa used this platform not only to champion South Africa’s economic interests but also to confront and dispel harmful misinformation, notably the false and inflammatory narrative of a so-called “white genocide.” the statement read.
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