The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has strongly condemned what it described as an unjust and dangerous campaign of political and economic aggression by the Trump administration against South Africa.
In a bold statement of solidarity, ITUC-Africa declared its unwavering support for the South African people and government, rejecting what it called neo-imperialist attacks designed to undermine the country’s sovereignty, self-governance, and historic struggles for justice.
ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Afolabi Odigie denounced the US administration’s threats, which include aid suspension, trade agreement attacks, and inflammatory rhetoric, as a disturbing echo of past imperialist interventions aimed at derailing Africa’s post-colonial and post-apartheid progress.
The statement highlighted that South Africa’s recent reforms—particularly land redistribution, healthcare access, and education equity—are necessary steps toward dismantling the enduring structures of apartheid-era oppression.
South Africa’s land reform efforts, anchored in constitutional law, have been a focal point of US hostility. ITUC-Africa commended the recent Expropriation Act, asserting that it is a democratically developed tool for correcting deeply entrenched racial and class inequalities.
The organisation also praised South Africa’s principled stance at the International Court of Justice, where it has taken a stand against human rights violations in Gaza. The Trump administration’s attempts to vilify South Africa for these actions, ITUC-Africa insists, are politically motivated and seek to shield entrenched white minority privilege at the expense of justice for the non-white majority.
The labour movement’s statement also condemned what it described as a coordinated effort by right-wing groups, billionaire Elon Musk’s open admiration for apartheid-era governance, and certain economic elites who are aggressively pushing back against South Africa’s democratic efforts.
This resistance, ITUC-Africa warned, reflects a broader neo-colonial agenda that must be resisted by African nations and the global progressive community.
As South Africa grapples with these external pressures, ITUC-Africa called on African governments, trade unions, civil society organisations, and the international community to stand in solidarity, resist external bullying, and defend the right of all nations to determine their own futures free from coercion and racist double standards. The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting South Africa’s democratic journey and its long-overdue efforts to rectify the economic and social legacies of apartheid.
With the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter approaching, ITUC-Africa declared that the struggle for a just and inclusive South Africa is not just a national fight but a continental and global one. The organisation vowed to continue standing with South Africa in its pursuit of equity and justice, rejecting any form of external intimidation designed to derail its progress.
READ ALSO: ITUC-Africa calls for concrete actions to end eastern DRC conflict
and then