With tensions between the US and SA at an all-time high, a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked the first formal public outreach to Pretoria in months.
After months of diplomatic strain, the United States (US) seems to be signalling a thaw with Pretoria, following the Donald Trump administration’s statement that it remains open to “constructive engagement” where the two countries’ interests align.
South Africa celebrated Freedom Day on Monday, marking the 32nd anniversary of its first democratic elections, held on 27 April 1994.
Diplomacy
With tensions between the US and South Africa at an all-time high, a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked the first formal public outreach to Pretoria in months, a sign that relations between the two countries may be warming.
“On behalf of the United States of America, I extend warm greetings to the people of South Africa as you commemorate Freedom Day,” Rubio said.
“Over three decades since South Africa’s democratic transition, this occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the country’s history and future. As we look ahead, we remain open to constructive engagement where our interests align.”
SA singled out
Trump has, on several occasions, singled out South Africa for harsh treatment on several issues since he returned to the White House in January, notably making debunked claims of white Afrikaners being systematically “killed and slaughtered” in the country.
He ambushed Ramaphosa in the Oval Office last year, playing a video in which he alleged a campaign against white farmers by the post-apartheid government.
G20
Tensions between the two countries further escalated after the US boycotted the two-day G20 leaders’ Summit hosted at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
“The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa, because the South African government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers,” Trump said.
A month later, Rubio posted on the State Department’s Substack account that the State Department intended to bar SA from participating in the forum and replace it with Poland, “forging ahead with a new G20.”
Finance minister barred
Earlier this month, South Africa was dealt another blow after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was not accredited to attend the upcoming meeting of the Group of 20 finance chiefs in Washington, US.
The US took over the G20’s annual rotating presidency from South Africa in late 2025, and it will next pass to the UK.
The G20 traditionally meets on the sidelines of the biannual IMF and World Bank gatherings and on other occasions, and also holds a heads-of-state summit.
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