For three decades, South Africa has been treated as a political anomaly—a state where governance failures have been dismissed as unfortunate by-products of history rather than recognised as the direct consequences of policy choices.
It has been shielded from scrutiny by a global political order that remains too ideologically invested in the country’s post-apartheid narrative to hold it accountable for its own decline.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has governed as though political power is a permanent right, not a responsibility, convinced that its struggle credentials give it immunity from judgement.
But as its corruption, mismanagement, and ideological radicalism continue to unravel the country, the illusion that South Africa is a stable democracy is beginning to collapse.
Donald Trump’s recent comments on Monday, 17 March 2025, about South Africa being a place “where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned”, and on a so-called watchlist, are not simply rhetorical jabs or passing provocations.
While not a formal watchlist designation per se, they signal that South Africa is now under heightened scrutiny in Washington, especially after the 7 February 2025 executive order issued by Trump, entitled Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa.
This marks a shift from how the country has been treated by previous US administrations, where it was largely overlooked, indulged, or seen as too inconsequential to warrant serious attention. The ANC, always quick to react with outrage to any Western critique, has so far remained silent.
But its lack of response is not a sign of indifference—it is a sign that the party does not know how to respond when its usual defences are starting to lose their effectiveness.
South Africa’s leadership will undoubtedly attempt to frame this as an attack by a right-wing American president who does not understand the country’s complexities.
It will claim that Trump is targeting South Africa because of its independent foreign policy, its membership in BRICS, and its opposition to Israel.
It will cast itself as the victim of an imperialist smear campaign, relying on the well-worn language of anti-colonial resistance.
But these reflexive accusations will ring hollow because Trump’s words are not about foreign policy or ideological positioning—they are about something much simpler: the fact that South Africa has become a country whose decline can no longer be ignored.
For too long, South Africa has been allowed to deteriorate without consequence. It has presided over one of the highest crime rates in the world, a collapsing state infrastructure, and an economic crisis that has left more than 40% of its workforce unemployed.
It has done so while still expecting the world to treat it as a moral authority, a champion of human rights, and a legitimate voice in global affairs.
The reality is that South Africa today is a failing state, one that has been held to a different standard than other countries in comparable conditions. But the era of treating the ANC as a party above reproach is coming to an end.
South Africa’s Free Ride on the Global Stage Is Ending
For years, South Africa has been a paradox in international politics: a country that aligns itself with authoritarian regimes while still expecting preferential trade agreements from Western democracies, a government that speaks in the language of equality while presiding over one of the most unequal societies in the world, a state that condemns “imperialism” while benefiting from Western economic partnerships.
This contradiction has persisted because the world has allowed it to persist, unwilling to challenge South Africa’s status as a supposed democratic success story.
Western governments, international organisations, and global media have all played a role in sustaining the illusion that South Africa is a model, albeit with some flaws, for post-colonial governance.
It has been treated with diplomatic leniency, granted leadership roles in institutions like the United Nations and the G20, and given economic benefits that other struggling nations do not receive.
The ANC has counted on this, believing that it can continue to pursue radical policies at home while still enjoying the goodwill of the international community. But that goodwill is evaporating.
Trump’s comments signal a shift in the global narrative surrounding South Africa. The country is no longer being viewed as an emerging democracy with growing pains but as a nation that is actively imploding due to the reckless governance of its ruling party.
This shift is not just coming from the US; it is emerging in diplomatic circles worldwide, where there is increasing frustration with South Africa’s unreliability as a global partner.
Countries that once regarded South Africa as a valuable ally in diplomacy and trade are now questioning its reliability as a stable partner.
Why Washington Is Finally Paying Attention
The ANC has long counted on global indifference to maintain its hold on power, leveraging historical grievances and ideological rhetoric to shield itself from criticism.
But that era is coming to an end. The recent expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, underscores a growing recognition in Washington that South Africa is no longer just a poorly governed nation—it is an ideological player advancing an agenda that is increasingly at odds with Western interests.
Rasool’s remarks accusing Trump of leading a “global white supremacist movement” were not an unfortunate slip—they were emblematic of the ANC’s broader strategy of deflecting from its failures by resorting to radical rhetoric.
Rasool’s expulsion is just one piece of a larger puzzle. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has long been vocal about the dangers of leftist governments, particularly those that prioritise ideological narratives over functional governance.
Rubio’s refusal to attend the G20 ministerial summit, citing South Africa’s radical leftist policies, was a strong indication that Washington’s view of Pretoria is shifting. South Africa’s selection of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability” as the theme for its G20 presidency was interpreted as further evidence of the ANC’s obsession with ideological posturing at the expense of economic realities.
A Government That Has Never Been Held Accountable for Its Own Failures
The ANC’s governing strategy has been singular: deflect whenever confronted with failure. It does not answer for why Eskom, the state electricity provider, has collapsed under corruption and mismanagement.
It does not explain why its economic policies have driven businesses out of the country and left millions jobless. It does not take responsibility for the fact that its transformation policies have only enriched a small political elite while doing nothing to alleviate poverty.
Instead, it blames apartheid. It blames colonialism. It blames capitalism, Western interference, and, when convenient, white South Africans.
The consequences of this impunity have now caught up with the country. The infrastructure is decaying. Lawlessness has taken hold in vast parts of South Africa.
The economy is shrinking. Unemployment is at record highs, and the government’s only response is to double down on failed policies rather than reconsider its approach.
The failures of ANC governance are not accidental. They are the direct consequence of a system that prioritises political loyalty over competence, ideological purity over practical governance, and racial narratives over real economic solutions.
This approach has led to a failing economy, a collapsing state infrastructure, and a deep-seated culture of entitlement and impunity within the ruling elite.
The Final Verdict
South Africa is being watched. Not because of its history, not because of ideological disagreements, but because of its present reality. The world is no longer willing to ignore the consequences of the ANC’s governance.
Whether South Africa acknowledges this and makes meaningful changes remains to be seen. But what is clear is that its era of unquestioned global goodwill has ended.
The world is shifting, and South Africa must decide whether it will continue down the path of economic and political ruin or take accountability for its failures.
The ANC’s governance has become indefensible. The longer it clings to ideological deflections rather than real solutions, the more isolated South Africa will become.
The scrutiny South Africa faces today is not foreign interference—it is long-overdue accountability.
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