South African President warns against ‘bullies’ as democracy faces global and domestic pressures |
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a strong warning against what he described as domestic and international “bullies” seeking to divide the nation and undermine the country’s constitutional democracy, saying that the values of human solidarity and social justice are under sustained attack both at home and abroad. The president made the remarks during celebrations marking the 114th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s governing party and one of the oldest liberation movements on the African continent.
Ramaphosa’s address came at a moment of deep political transition and uncertainty for South Africa. For the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC no longer holds an outright parliamentary majority, following its poor performance in the 2024 general elections. The party is now governing through coalition arrangements at national and provincial levels, while facing growing public frustration over economic stagnation, high unemployment, crime, corruption, and failing basic services.
Against this backdrop, Ramaphosa framed his speech as both a commemoration of South Africa’s democratic achievements and a call to vigilance against forces he believes are attempting to roll them back.
The president opened his address by reflecting on the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution, which he described as one of the most progressive in the world. Adopted after years of negotiation following the end of apartheid, the Constitution enshrines principles such as equality before the law, non-racialism, non-sexism, human dignity, and social justice.
However, Ramaphosa warned that the anniversary was being marked amid “increasingly strident attacks” on constitutional values, the rule of law, and the rules-based international order.
“Across the world, the values of democracy, equality, equity, inclusion, human solidarity, gender equality and social justice are under attack,” he said, placing South Africa’s challenges within a broader global context. According to the........