But getting agreement on any text in the absence of the United States whose Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent boycotted the meeting for a second time underlining the pariah status which the Trump administration has given to Cyril Ramaphosa's government must count as a significant success (Dispatches 18/2/25 Brussels offers hand of friendship & AC Vol 66 No 7 Pretoria picks new envoy for the MAGA minefield)...

It was tottering last week after the Democratic Alliance reacted to the dismissal of a deputy trade minister by demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa sack the ministers from his African National Congress party who face corruption allegations (Dispatches 30/6/25 Centre-right Democratic Alliance baulks at collapsing the coalition after President Ramaphosa sacks its trade minister)...

The ostensible reason for the dismissal is Whitfield travelling with another DA deputy Emma Powell to Washington for meetings with officials and lawmakers without President Cyril Ramaphosa's approval...

Despite leaving the G7 summit in Canada without a meeting with United States President Donald Trump South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is hoping to kickstart trade talks with Washington at next week's US-Africa Business Forum in Angola...

Her remarks proved prescient hours later when United States President Donald Trump ambushed South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office...

Goldman Sachs has positioned itself as the trade whisperer to United States President Donald Trump holding talks with several African leaders including South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa about trade and improving relations with the US...