South African President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed on Thursday that his country would never again permit “forced removals.”
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address in parliament, Ramaphosa addressed land ownership issues and the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The people of this country know the pain of forced removals. That is why we will never allow forced removals again,” he declared.
The president emphasized South Africa’s commitment to equality, stating that the nation must ensure “all people enjoy equal worth and equal opportunity” under the rule of law.
Ramaphosa urged national unity, stressing that South Africa must stand together in the face of economic and political challenges.
“This is not the time for any of us to rush off to foreign lands to lay complaints about issues we can solve ourselves,” he said.
His remarks come amid tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing all U.S. financial aid to South Africa.
The U.S. decision follows South Africa’s recently passed land expropriation law and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The land expropriation legislation aims to address historical land ownership disparities rooted in colonialism and racial segregation.
Ramaphosa also welcomed a joint summit between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) in Tanzania.
The summit emphasized direct dialogue among all parties, including the M23 rebels, as part of confidence-building efforts for lasting peace.
The president noted that the agreement would eventually lead to the withdrawal of SADC troops from the region.