US President Joe Biden conveyed his congratulations to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa for securing a new term, highlighting the importance of their relationship despite ongoing political turmoil in Washington.
Amidst calls from a fellow Democratic Party member in Congress for Biden to consider stepping down following a questionable debate performance that raised concerns about his age, the 81-year-old president connected with Ramaphosa over the phone.
The White House shared that Biden praised Ramaphosa’s victory and discussed potential areas of collaboration, particularly emphasizing South Africa’s upcoming leadership role in the G20, a group of major economies that the country will chair next year, coinciding with Biden’s potential second term as president.
The statement released by the White House emphasized the commitment of both the US and South Africa to deepen cooperation and pursue mutual interests.
They are looking to work together on various issues such as enhancing economic prosperity, addressing climate change, improving healthcare systems, and ensuring that democracy benefits all citizens.
This conversation follows previous tensions between the two nations, including US concerns regarding South Africa’s involvement in a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of “genocide” during the Gaza conflict that followed a Hamas attack on October 7.
Prior to the Gaza conflict, the US had raised eyebrows over South Africa’s reluctance to join international efforts against Russia, a country that many South Africans remember for its anti-apartheid stance.
Last year, the US ambassador to South Africa publicly accused the country of providing weapons to a Russian vessel for use in the Ukraine invasion, a claim that was later retracted following backlash from Pretoria.
Ramaphosa’s African National Congress, which has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994, lost its majority in the May 29 elections and formed a unity government.
sct/nro
