NATIONAL NEWS - Renowned businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen are expected to join President Cyril Ramaphosa’s South African delegation when he meets his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
The stage is set for the anticipated heated and robust meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump, expected to take place at the White House on Wednesday at 17:30 (African time).
‘Good discussions’
There is speculation about how the meeting will go, with fears Ramaphosa is walking into a “Zelensky-style ambush”, referring to the viral clash that took place when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House in February.
Ramaphosa told journalists in Washington that he was hoping for “really good” discussions with Trump and his administration.
READ: President Ramaphosa arrives in Washington to reset SA-US relations
“I’m looking forward to a really good and positive meeting, and we’re looking forward to a very good outcome for our country, for our people, for the jobs in our country and good trade relations and [normalising] relations between our two countries.”
SA foreign policy
Ramaphosa said he will also clarify South Africa’s policy positions on a range of pressing geopolitical matters.
“We are going to have an opportunity to discuss geopolitical issues, not only Israel, but also Ukraine. So all these matters will be on the table for proper discussion, and we are very rational when it comes to discussing global and geopolitical matters.
“We will put South Africa’s interests first, and our own foreign policy positions will be well clarified. So fear not,” Ramaphosa said.
Possible humiliation?
Ramaphosa was not fazed that he may face “humiliation” similar to the shouting match involving Trump, his deputy JD Vance, and Zelensky.
“Well, South Africans are never humiliated, are they? South Africans always go into everything holding their heads high.”
Rupert, Els and Goosen
While Rupert, South Africa’s richest man, Els, and Goosen will be part of Ramaphosa’s delegation, it is understood that the South African billionaire and owner of Starlink, SpaceX, and Tesla will not attend the highly anticipated meeting.
READ: 'SA is out of control,' Trump says ahead of meeting with Ramaphosa
According to a News24 report, it was Rupert who facilitated the meeting amid escalating tensions between the US and South Africa, which ramped up when 49 Afrikaners were given refugee status by Trump.
“Ernie Els was actually the person who, over the past month, talked Trump into agreeing to the meeting,” said Rupert.
Both Els and Rupert are currently in Washington and have been closely involved in the process of getting Ramaphosa and Trump around a table.
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
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