Trump meeting: ‘Cyril Ramaphosa cannot show weakness’ – Andre Vlok, conflict specialist
President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the US this week to try to repair relations between South African and the United States.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of his keynote address at the Localisation Dinner at the conclusion of the 12th Annual Buy Local Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Gauteng on 25 March 2024. Picture: @SAgovnews/X
CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit speaks with Andre Vlok, a conflict and employment dispute specialist, negotiator and mediator.
Listen below:
The relationship between South Africa and the United States has become deeply fractured since President Donald Trump assumed office for his second term.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday to try to mend relations.
He will also attempt to dispel the belief that there is a genocide of white people in South Africa.
This comes after 49 white, Afrikaans-speaking South Africans have been accepted as refugees in the US.
Vlok says Ramaphosa should try to avoid making the mistake of trying too hard to appease Trump or play into his theatre, as that will be seen as a weakness.
“If Ramaphosa shows any sign of weakness, that will be the end of that interview.”
- Andre Vlok, conflict and employment dispute specialist
He also warns against trying to compromise with Trump, as that will not resolve the core dispute.
“Compromise with President Trump is going to blow up somewhere along the line. Compromise is a bad strategy.”
- Andre Vlok, conflict and employment dispute specialist
RELATED: Cyril Ramaphosa heads to Washington to meet with Donald Trump
Instead, he says Ramaphosa should focus on creative problem solving and negotiations and ensure he sticks to his principles.
He adds that while Trump usually does bring chaos into meetings with other world leaders, there are clear patterns that Ramaphosa can learn from and work around.
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