VUKILE DLWATI | Buddhist monks' walk for peace: A quiet storm rattling a cage

A group of about two dozen monks began their trek in Fort Worth, Texas, on 26 October 2025, heading to Washington, D.C. Their message is both subtle and loud at the same time - a universal paradox. It brings to mind one of the world’s most formidable women, Mother Teresa, who once said: “I will never attend an anti-war rally; if you have a peace rally, invite me.”

If you really think about the monks’ journey, it has become a spectacle that strikes the global nervous system without being explicitly “anti” anything. The act of protesting usually means pushing against something - a system, governance, a scourge, injustice - you name it.

This journey began in the last trimester of 2025, the Year of the Snake - a year representing growth and renewal, as a snake sheds its skin as it grows.

The year 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolising speed, success and progress.

The monks’ seemingly long ambulation represents courage, strength and an energy of non-resistance. They literally exemplify what the world should embody: peace, love and harmony.

It is worth remembering that their destination is Washington, D.C. - synonymous with the White House and the Republican man at the helm of the United States of America.

MERYL STREEP ON TRUMP’S BULLYING

Multi-award-winning actress Meryl Streep once took a measured swipe at US President Donald Trump.

She called out his bullying antics and abuse of power during her Golden Globes acceptance speech, referencing Trump’s mockery of a disabled journalist.

“The most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter - someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back,” she said.

She went on to say that the moment “broke my heart”.

“I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie, it was real life.”

She added: “This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modelled by someone in a public platform, by someone powerful, filters down into everybody’s life. It kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence.”

I began my career as a business reporter and there is a popular saying: “When America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold.”

This is because Wall Street is there; the US is arguably the world’s entertainment capital - think music, filmmaking, celebrity culture - and a hub of global economic influence and opportunity.

WASHINGTON AND PRETORIA’S RIFT

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his State of the Nation Address earlier this year, said: “We will not be bullied.”

He used his address to hit back at the Trump administration and its criticism of South Africa’s Expropriation Act.

Ramaphosa said that the global village is facing numerous challenges, including climate change, geopolitical tensions and conflict.

“This is the world that we, as a developing economy, must now navigate. But we are not daunted. We will not be deterred. We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied,” he said.

“We will stand together as a united nation. We will speak with one voice in defence of our national interest, our sovereignty and our constitutional democracy.”

TRUMP’S BULLYING TACTICS REINFORCED

South Africa is a member of the G20 - a group of developed and developing economies. It chaired the G20 and was due to hand over the presidency to the United States in 2026.

As early as February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting held in Johannesburg, echoing Trump’s remarks about “bad things” happening in South Africa.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that there is a “white genocide” taking place in South Africa. This belief led to a group of so-called Afrikaner farmers leaving the country for the US after Trump opened the door to them, claiming he was sparing their lives.

When a South African delegation visited the White House, Ramaphosa and his team sought to clear the air regarding Trump’s claims. Even then, the Republican leader appeared enveloped in cognitive dissonance.

After this brief display of Trump’s character, I return to the monks’ trek. Their journey is a quiet pushback against what Washington represents. They are expected to arrive there next month. Their resilience, courage and fortitude have captured global attention. I can only wait and see what their arrival will bring to fruition.