President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed fears of a possible United States invasion of South Africa, saying there is no cause for alarm despite Washington’s dramatic military action against Venezuela.
His comments come after US forces launched a surprise operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, triggering international outrage and heated debate at home.
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Ramaphosa Responds to US Military Action in Venezuela
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 31st annual Joe Slovo commemoration at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto on Tuesday, Ramaphosa condemned the US operation but insisted South Africa has nothing to fear.
“We are not worried about an invasion of South Africa, not at all. I think we are far from anything like that, and in the end, the United States is an important country in the world,” Ramaphosa said.
He added that disagreements between nations should be resolved through dialogue rather than force.
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“We’ve always believed that any differences with whichever country, including the United States, need to be discussed. We need to sit down and find solutions.
“We follow the Madiba doctrine that there is no problem without a solution, and the best way of dealing with problems, whether in a country or in the world, is where parties sit down together. It is through this doctrine that Nelson Mandela led us to an end to the nightmare of apartheid. A doctrine of engagement, discussion, [negotiations],” Ramaphosa said.
ANC President responds to US President Donald Trumps actions against Venezuela’s President.
He says he is not worried about the US invading SA. #eNCA #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/Ndy2BCo4el— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) January 6, 2026
South Africa Condemns ‘Unilateral’ US Action at UN
Pretoria’s position was also firmly stated at the United Nations earlier this week.
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Acting deputy permanent representative Jonathan Passmoor addressed the first UN Security Council meeting of 2026 on Monday, where he criticised the US assault on Venezuela as a breach of international law.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, reportedly involved US commandos deploying from helicopters, supported by fighter jets and naval forces, before forcibly taking Maduro and his wife into custody.
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Passmoor said the action violated Venezuela’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.
“Failure to act decisively against such violations is tantamount to inviting anarchy and normalising the use of force and military might as the main form of discourse in international politics.”
‘Trump Help Us’: Viral Plea Sparks Social Media Backlash
Meanwhile, the situation has sparked controversy online after a man went viral for calling on former US President Donald Trump to intervene in South Africa.
Influencer Fighter Rakgadi shared a video on X showing the man holding two placards reading “Trump help us” and “Ramaphosa must fall!”.
“Donald Trump, please come and save our country. You have done it in Venezuela to arrest the president. Cyril Ramaphosa must fall, please come to South Africa and help us,” the man said.
Someone will go to jail because of content.
What is this? pic.twitter.com/fMQ7MgA0Ir— Fighter Rakgadi 🇿🇦 🇧🇫 (@Rakgadi_EM) January 5, 2026
Ramaphosa confirmed that the ANC’s national executive committee released a statement on Monday rejecting the developments in Venezuela and calling for the immediate release of Maduro.
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