On Thursday, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said his nation “will not be bullied” in response to a recent threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to stop funding South Africa’s land reform bill. Trump said that South Africa was unfairly treating some communities and stealing land from people. Although he offered no evidence to support his accusations.

He was discussing proposed legislation that would attempt to address historical inequities in land ownership between racial groups. Ramaphosa answered in his annual address to the nation (although he did not specifically name Trump). He continued, “We are witnessing the rise of nationalism, protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests, and the decline of common cause.” He stated, “We will stand together as a united nation, and we will speak with one voice in defense of our national interests.”

The criticism was also echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He declared he would not go to the G20 summit in Johannesburg, which is a significant gathering. The fact that South Africa became the first African nation to lead the G20, a gathering of the world’s biggest economies, is what makes this notable. Currently, two political parties collaborate to govern the nation. This occurred as a result of the African National Congress, the party that has dominated politics since apartheid ended, losing some of its support and being forced to form an alliance with the Democratic Alliance, its principal adversary.

Ramaphosa has ambitions to strengthen the nation’s economy in the future. He wants to invest in infrastructure and fix state-owned businesses that supply transport and electricity. Although the central bank now projects 1.8% growth this year, the objective is to get the economy developing at a rate faster than 3%. Stay current and connect with us on [Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1An4REwgwy/?mibextid=wwXIfr].