"An Open Door for African Americans: The Message Ramaphosa Ought to Have Delivered"

On May 21, in a fictional but powerful alternate reality, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa makes headlines by announcing that his government has granted refugee status to 48 million African Americans. The decision, enacted via an executive order titled “Addressing the Egregious Actions and Extensive Failures of the US Government,” is presented during a press conference at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Flanked by leaders of the African American Civil Liberties Association, Ramaphosa characterizes the move as a humane and necessary response to the “mayhem” caused by systemic oppression in the United States under President Donald Trump’s second term.

Ramaphosa condemns the Trump administration’s policies, citing executive actions that dismantled affirmative action, eliminated DEI initiatives, and enabled discrimination by federal contractors. These moves, he claims, are a calculated effort to strip African Americans of their rights, dignity, and economic opportunities — essentially to “make America white again.” He describes this not as policy but as persecution.

The crisis is further amplified by Maya Johnson, president of the African American Civil Liberties Association, who calls the situation in the U.S. “genocide.” She alleges that Black Americans are being systematically hunted and attacked by white mobs, with police often complicit or directly involved. Thousands have been assaulted, disappeared, or killed in just six weeks, according to her organization. Johnson underscores the urgency by painting a picture of lawlessness, brutality, and state-supported racial violence.

The African Union responds by convening an emergency summit. In a rare unified move, AU leaders condemn the U.S. government's actions and appoint Ramaphosa to bring the matter to the United Nations. They also support the idea of repatriating African Americans and providing refuge. Ramaphosa announces that charter flights will begin arriving in Africa on May 25, Africa Day, marking a symbolic homecoming for victims of racial injustice.

But then the narrative abruptly shifts back to reality.

None of this actually happened.

There was no bold condemnation, no executive order, no refuge offered. Instead, after the U.S. halted aid to South Africa, spread false claims about a “white genocide,” and welcomed white South African refugees, the real Ramaphosa responded with a diplomatic visit to the White House on May 21. He avoided any mention of African American suffering or systemic U.S. racism, instead choosing to emphasize bilateral relations. Even when Trump propagated baseless claims about white victimhood, Ramaphosa stayed silent on the very real crimes and discrimination faced by Black Americans.

This stark contrast between imagined courage and real-world caution highlights the global reluctance to confront American racial injustice. The piece critiques political cowardice and the unwillingness of African leadership to defend the diaspora, even in the face of escalating abuse. In this alternate world, Ramaphosa confronts Trump with the truth: rejecting falsehoods about South Africa and standing up for African Americans. In reality, diplomacy takes precedence over justice — a reflection of how power, fear, and geopolitics often silence moral clarity.