Ramaphosa vs Trump vs Musk

A remarkable exchange occurred recently between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump.

Trump threatened to cut aid to South Africa over its land reform policies based on misleading claims promoted by the right-wing South African NGO AfriForum. The organization, which has long pushed narratives sympathetic to white landowners, falsely alleged widespread land seizures and violence against white farmers, despite multiple independent investigations debunking these claims. 

These distortions were amplified by Elon Musk, who called for U.S. intervention. 

Ramaphosa’s response was swift and unapologetic: South Africa’s expropriation laws align with constitutional mandates for equitable land access, and U.S. assistance, primarily from PEPFAR, constitutes only 19% of its HIV/AIDS program. 

In short, South Africa isn’t begging.

South Africa’s Minister for Minerals hinted at a bold countermeasure: mobilizing Africa to withhold its minerals in response. 

This is not just a clapback—it’s a recognition that Africa’s true leverage lies in its vast natural wealth. 

The continent holds over 90% of the world’s platinum and major reserves of cobalt, lithium, and rare earth minerals—all critical to global industries from electric vehicles to defense. 

Africa is no longer just a recipient of aid but a global power with the means to set its terms.

Burkina Faso’s young leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré

Since seizing power in September 2022, Traoré has taken decisive steps to reclaim the nation's gold resources. 

Burkina Faso, producing approximately 70 tons of gold annually from 17 industrial mines, has nationalized key operations, including the Boungou and Wahgnion mines, acquiring them for $80 million—a fraction of their previous market value. 

This move not only resolves legal disputes with foreign entities but also ensures that the wealth generated benefits the Burkinabé people directly.

Other African nations are also asserting greater control over their resources. 

In Namibia, the government has introduced new laws mandating that all lithium, cobalt, and rare earth exports must undergo some level of domestic processing before leaving the country. This prevents raw material exploitation and encourages local industrial growth. 

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is revisiting mining contracts signed during past administrations, demanding more favorable terms from multinational corporations extracting its world-leading cobalt reserves.

South Africa is also rich in various minerals. In addition to diamonds and gold, the country has reserves of iron ore, platinum, manganese, chromium, copper, uranium, silver, beryllium, and titanium.

What about Kenya?

Kenya's President William Ruto can draw inspiration from these examples. 

Kenya has significant mineral resources, including titanium, gold, and rare earth elements. 

Kenya can maximize the benefits derived from its natural wealth by reassessing existing contracts and ensuring that mining activities are conducted with transparency and in the nation's best interest. Implementing policies that prioritize local communities and environmental sustainability will be crucial in this endeavor. 

African leaders must act decisively to end the cycle of resource exploitation that has defined the continent's economic relationship with the West for centuries.

The Spectre of Apartheid

The U.S. cannot be considered a neutral arbitrator in this dispute. 

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and an influential figure in Trump's circle, is a white South African whose family amassed wealth during the apartheid years. Musk has direct interests in Africa’s resources, particularly lithium and cobalt, which power his Tesla empire. 

His role in Trump’s government raises concerns that his influence is being used to bully South Africa on behalf of white South Africans who once thrived under apartheid’s brutal system.

Apartheid was not just a policy of racial segregation—it was a ruthless system that looted Africa’s wealth, forcibly removed millions of Black South Africans from their land, and institutionalized violence against Black communities. 

Children were killed, families torn apart, and entire generations economically disenfranchised. 

Minerals and farmland were stolen, and Black South Africans were excluded from political and economic power. 

Africa must never forget. 

These same forces—descendants of colonialists and apartheid beneficiaries—continue to shape global narratives and exert influence in Washington, Brussels, and London. 

African nations must grab control of their own storytelling, lest the world forgets these atrocities and history is rewritten to favor the oppressors.

The Link to Gaza

This attempt to manipulate South Africa comes at a critical time when the country is asserting its moral leadership on the global stage. 

In early 2024, South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The case, which highlights South Africa’s enduring commitment to human rights and international law, has placed it at odds with Western powers that have historically shielded Israel from legal accountability. 

In response, Western-aligned media outlets and politicians have attempted to discredit South Africa, using the same tactics of misinformation and economic coercion seen in the AfriForum controversy. Yet, Ramaphosa’s administration has refused to bow to external pressure, reaffirming South Africa’s position as a leader in the Global South.

Africa's Economic Sovereignty

This battle is also about the future of Africa’s economic sovereignty. 

African nations continue to suffer from illicit financial flows, where billions of dollars are lost annually due to tax evasion, mispricing by multinational corporations, and resource plundering disguised as legal trade. 

With figures such as Musk and Trump advocating policies that reinforce these exploitative systems, Africa must push back decisively, not just through rhetoric but through legal and economic countermeasures. 

The push for resource nationalization, contract renegotiation, and regional economic integration is no longer an option—it is an imperative for survival.

Africa Must Seize the Narrative

That Africa must aggressively deploy its communications experts, historians, and storytellers to reclaim its narrative cannot be overemphasised.

The descendants of Africa’s colonizers are still active in global capitals, attempting to reshape economic and political realities to their advantage. 

Without a clear, coordinated effort to highlight past and present injustices, they will find new ways to re-colonize the continent under the guise of business partnerships and aid.

Trump’s threats—and Ramaphosa’s defiant stance—reinforce the urgent need for Africa to redefine its engagement with world powers.

For too long, Africa has been treated as an economic afterthought, a continent rich in resources but poor in bargaining power. This moment presents an opportunity for African nations to translate tough talk into a united strategy that prioritizes their own economic and diplomatic interests.

The world is shifting, and Africa must shift with it from a passive participant to an active power broker in the new global order.

Gem Musings is an International and Public Affairs Analyst with expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, communications, and African geopolitics.