- Malema says Ramaphosa handled the tense situation very well because fighting America is never easy.
- The EFF leader slammed Trump as a "fool" and said South Africa will not be pushed out of the G20.
Julius Malema has done the unthinkable. He has praised Cyril Ramaphosa.
The EFF leader says the President did a good job handling Donald Trump's bullying.
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Relations between South Africa and the US have hit rock bottom. Trump has slashed funding, claimed there is a "white genocide" here, and refused to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Ramaphosa tried to fix things with a visit to the White House in May. It was a disaster.
Trump reportedly confronted him with fake evidence of white genocide. When the US threatened to downgrade its presence at the G20, Ramaphosa eventually announced a "commercial break" from the group until the UK takes over in 2027.
Malema says Ramaphosa held his nerve.
"It's not easy to fight America. It has never been easy," Malema said at a press briefing. "If it were me, it would have been worse."
He said Ramaphosa handled the pressure "very well".
But while he praised the President's calm, Malema had harsh words for Trump.
"There's no one who doesn't want us in the G20 except this fool," he said. "America is not the G20. We are a founding member, and no one is going to push us out."
Malema laughed off the threat of a US travel ban.
"I'll go to Zimbabwe. I'll enter Botswana, I'll enter Nigeria. I'll enter Africa, my home," he mocked.
The EFF leader believes Trump is not actually angry about the "Kill the Boer" song. He says the real issue is South Africa taking Israel to the International Court of Justice.
He also pointed to the country's strong ties with China and Russia through Brics as a reason for American anger.
Malema could not resist one dig at Ramaphosa, though.
"It doesn't matter how many times you go to the Oval Office. Our president went there with his clowns to explain themselves. And it didn't work," he said.
