What we saw with the recent Trump/Ramaphosa meeting, was an arrogant Ramaphosa actually lying to Trump. In addition, there he was with a begging bowl held out when he and his fellow ANC thieves and fools have done everything to act against the USA.

Their "great friends" in Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela etc will not come to South Africa’s assistance and certainly not invest in the country. China might if it can secure advantage and resources, but it will not be in the slightest to the benefit of South Africa or its population. It will not reduce the unemployed level in South Africa as it will bring in its own Chinese workers to exploit whatever it does here.

The official unemployment rate in South Africa is 43.1% and probably much higher. The youth unemployment rate, which measures job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, climbed to 62.4% in Q1 2025.

South Africa has a government that is clueless about everything except self-enrichment and theft.

America is South Africa’s major trading partner. It has been enormously generous and patient with an ANC regime that has done almost everything to damage that relationship and it has the chutzpah to demand American help and goes to Washington and lies blatantly to Trump on international TV. No humility here.

More than 4,000 farmers have been murdered in South Africa. They were not all Afrikaans. A close classmate of mine’s brother, defined in South Africa as English speaking, was gunned down on his farm with an AK47. Those crosses lining the road shown in the Oval Office were in memory of all who had been murdered and not grave sites. However, they have been around for a long time and for Ramaphosa to deny any knowledge of them is an untruth. Where has he been? Locked up in his multi-million private home in Sea Point, Cape Town or in his over-protected blue light black vehicle convoy pushing all traffic aside when absolutely unnecessary?

Whilst Retief Goosen, the international golfer, did speak out referring to his family’s experience and their living behind electric fences on their farm, Ernie Els, the other international golfer, was weak and wishy washy whilst in the past posting on social media about the farm murders. Johan Rupert, the international businessman, could have been far more forthright, but, with all his great wealth, I suspect a fear of antagonizing our semi-dictatorial ANC government for obvious business reasons and fear of retribution.

I sat wondering what I would have done if I were in the oval office and could speak. I do not want to see any harm come to South Africa, but I would have been candid and straightforward and laid it out as it is. We don’t know what was said behind closed doors in the private meeting, but I would have in the public meeting brought out and confirmed Trump’s stated issues such as:

1. The murder of farmers. In a way it is a genocide and/or the precursor to a genocide. Just look at the video that was played in the Oval Office which ”starred” the truly evil, populist rabble rouser and arrogant Julius Malema. I will comment later about Ramaphosa’s lack of moral leadership.
2. Taking property without compensation. Ramaphosa lied when referring to the South African Constitution, which is supposed to protect private property. Why then pass a law that does precisely the opposite? The intension is obvious and it is more legalised theft in South Africa which, as in Zimbabwe, will only benefit the ANC elite and cronies.
3. South Africa’s spurious Iran sponsored ICJ case against Israel is unacceptable and must be rescinded.
4. South Africa has taken almost every opportunity to vote against American Interests and against Israel. The ANC doesn’t own its own soul and has sold it.
5. 30 years of complete incompetent rule and corruption with the accompanied looting and destruction of state owned enterprises such as the railways, SA Airways, Eskom, the national electricity supply commission, the South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) and much much more. Except in the Western Cape and Cape Town, every other municipality that has been run by the ANC is bankrupt. Johannesburg, South Africa’s premier business city, is bankrupt, with huge infrastructure falling apart, water supply problems, electricity supply problems, roads deteriorated with potholes everywhere etc. I can go on.
6. Unemployment and crime were mentioned and whilst they can be related, begging for American help and technology to help improve the situation is ridiculous. Whatever may be donated by the USA, will be stolen and enrich the top elite ANC members.

The best option is to get rid of the ANC. I don’t think they can reform. Ramaphosa is beholden to underlings to provide endless financial sustenance. If he fails, they will get rid of him and may even kill him. The danger is that with South Africa’s demographics, the next sizable party is Zuma’s MK. Lingering along is the unacceptable Malema and his EFF thugs.

The ANC’s blaming and hiding, after 30 years, behind Apartheid and former issues is now a lame excuse. Are the bankruptcy of every state enterprise, railways, electricity, SA Airways, SABC et al are due to Apartheid? No, it is due to racial discrimination and the enrichment of the ANC elite and the appointment of the wrong, unqualified management everywhere by skin colour.

I am not sure at all that South Africa can be saved from itself.

Now to Ramaphosa himself. He is a spineless weak leader. He became a multi-billionaire simply by being at the right place at the right time when the country was handed over to the ANC. Public companies etc fell over themselves to give him shares, obviously to curry favour with the new government and guarantee getting government contracts. Ramaphosa became a multi-billionaire without ever showing any business initiative, enterprise or taking the usual risks and efforts required. In short, it was handed to him on a golden platter by sycophantic big business.

Ramaphosa, hardly a leader, has shown no moral leadership whatsoever. When Malema was shouting “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”, it would have been very simple to tell his nation that this is not what a nation finds acceptable in the slightest. Moral Leadership! Totally and completely lacking in every instance and with every issue.

In addition, the South African Supreme Court or Constitutional Court did not find anything against Malema’s rants about “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”. A great non-ethical, erroneous and dishonest ruling.

The public Oval Office meeting was tame stuff and, as pointed out in one of the early reports, Ramaphosa, to quote an Afrikaans idiom, was trying to smear honey around Trump's mouth (smeer heuning om sy mond). It was embarrassing.

I couldn't hear the video played during the Oval Office meeting on killing the Boers by a black speaker and assumed it was recordings of Malema's public rants. Since confirmed. He should have been arrested and stopped and publicly condemned by Ramaphosa. However, Ramaphosa himself has been videoed saying the same things.

This brings up a glaring shortfall in South Africa and from Ramaphosa and ANC leaders. There is no moral leadership or direction. When hate speech as illustrated and practiced by Malema is revealed, Ramaphosa should have immediately shown moral leadership and addressed the South African nation stating clearly that such speech WILL NOT BE TOLERATED and acted to immediately stop it.

I have always believe there is a good cop/bad cop relationship between Malema and Ramaphosa. Malema pushes and eventually the ANC acquiesces. Taking property without compensation is a perfect example. Ramaphosa is spineless as are many of his ministers in the ANC. Sadly and dangerously, there is no obvious successor or replacement.

There is a fine lesson in all of this for Israel. The great “moral” and “caring” world pressured South Africa to surrender and hand over the government to the ANC. Many of these moralists and virtue signallers all came to the great Mandela inauguration party. Great rejoicing, self-congratulations and festivities and then they left the next day, never to be heard of again.

This is the lesson for Israel. Do not succumb to world pressure from these idiots, ignoramuses, virtue signallers et al. They never have to live with the consequences of their great “moral” pressures and decisions.

Israel has been very careful and, difficult as it has been and is, thanks to Netanyahu, it has navigated the difficult international scene and belligerent countries. It will continue to do so and come out on top.

Mandela’s inauguration was the only time I ever agreed with Yasser Arafat. On his arrival at the airport in Johannesburg, in a TV interview, he said “I am happy to be here for this hysterical occasion”. How could I disagree?

The great and beautiful country that is South Africa has in thirty years reached rock bottom economically and in every other way. It has allied itself with every rogue nation and one must ask to what benefit? Perhaps Ramaphosa attending receptions and dinners is the only benefit as they fool him that he is acceptable. South Africa’s membership of BRICS is a joke.

The ANC before the last elections was bankrupt and would have been prohibited from running in the election. They couldn’t even run their own finances properly, never mind the country’s.

They were bailed out by Iran, details still hidden, with the obvious condition that they become yet another surrogate and make the spurious ICJ case against Israel. Whilst that case should not succeed, it certainly achieved its lawfare propaganda purposes.

I believe President Trump is not a fool and is well aware of everything. I trust that behind closed doors he read the riot act to Ramaphosa and set conditions, which must include correcting all of the above and disabusing itself of allying itself with Russia, China, BRICS et al and attempting to harm Israel. The threat of individual personal sanctions against the ANC and its members is a definite must.

To quote Alan Paton, the great South African author, Cry the Beloved Country.

David Hersch is Chairman of SAIPAC, the South African Israel Public Affairs Committee. Former chairman of the South African Zionist Federation (Cape Council) as well as a former national vice-chairman of the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF). He is also former member of the South Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape Council). Retired businessman and broadcaster.