Donald Trump gestures, next to former US First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron Trump during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida, early on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)
President Cyril Ramaphosa has joined world leaders in congratulating Donald Trump on his return to the US presidency, noting the potential for collaboration between South Africa and the United States in upcoming international engagements.
“I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our co-operation,” Ramaphosa wrote on X.
“In the global arena, we look forward to our Presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US, which will succeed us in the G20 Presidency in 2026.”
Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in a fiercely contested election marks one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern US history, particularly considering an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff labelling him a “fascist”.
“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump declared at a victory celebration in Florida. Trump, now the first US president in over a century to secure a non-consecutive second term, campaigned on an assertive platform that resonated with many voters despite its divisive tone.
Surrounded by his family and team on stage, Trump said “History has been made in America”.
“Frankly, this was I believe the greatest political movement of all time. There hasn’t been anything like this in this country and maybe beyond.
“Now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders and fix everything about our country.”
Vice President Harris, who joined the race in July following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, ran a centrist campaign that sought to counter Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, emphasising his frequent use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
Nonetheless, Trump’s messaging proved influential with key voting blocs, leading him to victory.
The global response has been mixed, with leaders extending cautious congratulations while stressing the importance of co-operation.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “ready to work together as we have done for four years … with respect and ambition, for more peace and prosperity”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump “on history’s greatest comeback”.
Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wrote on X:
“My congratulations to President Donald Trump on his electoral victory and return to the presidency of the United States. Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected.”
China conveyed a diplomatic response, expressing hopes for “peaceful coexistence” with the US.
“We will continue to approach and handle China-U.S. relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win co-operation,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press briefing.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Trump to continue strengthening the transatlantic alliance, emphasising shared values and economic ties between Europe and the US “Together we can achieve much more than against each other,” Scholz said.
The EU and USA are two similarly large economic areas, linked by the closest economic relations in the world.
Scholz added, “Germany and the United States are bound together in a partnership of friendship that has grown over decades.
“Our people-to-people ties to the United States are closer than to any other country outside Europe. Millions of American citizens have German roots.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban government expressed hope for a fresh start in its relations with the US.
“The government hopes the future Trump administration will take realistic steps toward concrete progress in relations between the two countries and both nations will be able to open a new chapter of relations,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi on X.
• Additional reporting by AFP