President Ramaphosa's Venezuela remarks stir coalition rift

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday condemned the United States’ military operation in Venezuela, in which Nicolás Maduro was forcibly seized by the US, a position that has exposed divisions within South Africa’s Government of National Unity and added strain to already tense relations with Washington.

Speaking in front of a Venezuelan flag at a memorial event for the late anti-apartheid activist, Ramaphosa said South Africa was alarmed by the US action and called for international intervention.

“We utterly reject the actions that the United States has embarked upon and stand with the people of Venezuela,” he said, urging “decisive action” from the United Nations Security Council.

Coalition partners reacted sharply. The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of hypocrisy for failing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Freedom-Front Plus described the foreign ministry statement as "being politicized to serve ANC interests rather than national policy" and welcomed Maduro’s removal as “the end of the socialist failure.”

The remarks come as relations between South Africa and the US remain strained over policy disputes, including South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the threat of US trade tariffs. Analysts warn that economic risks could rise if tensions escalate.

Edited by CGTN Africa reporter Marion Gachuhi