MORULENG – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a pointed warning to powerful global actors, including former US President Donald Trump and his conservative networks, as well as Israel and their allies, accusing them of advancing coercive tactics and regime-change agendas that undermine sovereignty, constitutional democracy and the rule-based international order.
Addressing thousands of African National Congress (ANC) supporters at the party’s 114th anniversary celebrations at Moruleng Stadium in South Africa’s North West province, Ramaphosa said South Africa would not submit to intimidation from “bullies”, whether domestic or foreign, who seek to divide the nation or reverse the gains of democracy.
The speech coincided with the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution, which Ramaphosa described as one of the most progressive in the world. However, he warned that the milestone was being marked at a time of mounting global pressure on democratic values.
“Across the world, the values of democracy, equality, inclusion, human solidarity and social justice are under sustained attack,” Ramaphosa said. “These attacks are not accidental. They are driven by powerful interests that believe might is right and that smaller or independent nations must fall into line.”
While Ramaphosa did not explicitly name Donald Trump, the United States or Israel, his remarks were widely interpreted as a rebuke of Western and Middle Eastern power blocs that have increasingly used political pressure, economic leverage and information warfare to influence governments viewed as non-aligned or critical of their foreign policy positions.
He warned that South Africa was not immune to these global currents, saying a “vocal minority” within the country had aligned itself with international forces hostile to transformation, constitutionalism and non-racial democracy.
“These forces seek to undermine our constitutional democracy, non-racialism, non-sexism and the entire transformation project,” Ramaphosa said. “They propagate blatant falsehoods and disinformation to attract sympathy from reactionary and racist movements across the world.”
Without naming them, he appeared to reference organisations accused of lobbying conservative political circles in the United States and engaging sympathetic media platforms linked to Trump-era politics. Ramaphosa went further, accusing such networks of actively laying the groundwork for regime change in South Africa.
“They form and fund political formations meant to fragment progressive forces. At the same time, they sow the seeds of regime change, establish parallel power structures and encourage secessionist thinking,” he said.
In a clear message to Washington, Tel Aviv and their allies, Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa would not be bullied into abandoning its independent foreign policy or its support for oppressed peoples globally.
“We refuse to be divided. We refuse to be bullied by anyone, whether here at home or anywhere around the world,” he said. “South Africa will not surrender its sovereignty, its Constitution or its democratic project to external pressure.”
Turning inward, Ramaphosa acknowledged that the ANC’s moral authority had been weakened by governance failures, poor service delivery and persistent economic hardship, including high unemployment and slow growth. He conceded that these shortcomings had alienated many citizens and contributed to the party’s loss of its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general elections.
“We must fix what is wrong,” he said. “We must correct our weaknesses if we are to reclaim our historic role as a leader of society.”
To that end, Ramaphosa outlined six priority tasks for 2026, including fixing local government, improving basic services, accelerating inclusive economic growth and job creation, intensifying the fight against crime and corruption, and advancing national dialogue to strengthen social cohesion.
He said government would invest R54 billion over the next three years to repair and upgrade water and electricity infrastructure in major metropolitan areas, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay.
The anniversary celebrations come at a pivotal moment for the ANC, which now governs through coalition arrangements at national and provincial level amid rising opposition pressure, civic activism and public frustration over poverty, inequality and energy insecurity.
Despite these challenges, Ramaphosa framed the moment as one of renewal and resistance, both against internal decay and external coercion.
“We are united in our will and our resolve,” he said. “South Africa will stand firm — against bullies, against regime change, and against any force that seeks to undo the hard-won freedoms of our people.”
