It’s been a year of many wins and many misses for President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He received plaudits for standing up to the White House “bullies” to hosting a successful G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Even political nemesis Julius Malema gave Ramaphosa his flowers recently, applauding him for the country’s response to US President Donald Trump’s hostility towards South Africa.
“Ramaphosa handled this saga very well. If it were me, it would have been worse. You see, that’s the thing with diplomacy and radicalism and all of that. You ought to strike a balance,” Malema said during an EFF media briefing in December.
“The guy handled that thing very well, very successfully, in a situation where he was confronted by serious hostility. It’s not easy to fight America. It has never been easy.”
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However, just as there were winning moments, there have also been moments that caught Ramaphosa off guard or left him surprised.
Here are some of the top moment from 2025 that best represent his year of “shock”.
Dim the lights
He didn’t say it in so many words, but those who watched Ramaphosa’s meeting with Trump at the Oval Office in Washington would agree that the South African counterpart was somewhat shocked.
The country expected Trump to bring up the so-called white genocide and South Africa’s land reform policy, but it’s safe to say no one saw those exact theatrics coming.
“Turn the lights down,” Trump instructed an aide during the meeting in May, in the presence of reporters.
This was followed by a video clip of EFF leader Julius Malema chanting “Kill the boer” – a contentious struggle chant.
It’s safe to say Ramaphosa was visibly surprised.
He later spoke about the moment during his keynote address at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, held at the Century City Convention Centre in Cape Town.
“Because at that moment, we were seated very nicely, and I was beginning to get into a groove of you know interacting with this man, and I suddenly hear him say ‘dim the lights’ [Ramaphosa laughs]. I must say a number of people have said, ‘this was an ambush,’” Ramaphosa said.
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Allegations by Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
Out of all the news that shook South Africa this year, KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations are among the top of the list.
During his famous 6 July media briefing, Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations of political and criminal interference in the justice system.
The news didn’t only shock the general public, but was apparently alarming enough for Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry – the Madlanga commission – to probe these allegations.
He announced the news during one of his famous family meeting-style addresses.
“I address you this evening on a matter that concerns the security of our country, the integrity of our law enforcement agencies and the safety of our people,” Ramaphosa said following Mkhwanazi’s briefing.
He said the allegations raised “serious concerns around the constitution, the rule of law and national security”.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa expects criminal referrals as Madlanga commission submits interim report
SANDF general’s trip to Iran
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) chief Rudzani Maphwanya’s trip to Iran also caught Ramaphosa by surprise.
According to the president’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa was unaware of the trip as the trips of SANDF officials are approved by the defence minister, not the president.
“As much as the president is the appointing authority and commander-in-chief, he does not get involved in supervising the general’s travel. That process sits with the minister, so the president did not know,” Magwenya said in August.
Maphwanya met with several senior members of Iran’s military forces in August, where he made glowing statements about possible future collaborations between the nations.
Magwenya called the trip “ill-advised” and potentially inflammatory, given rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and tensions between South Africa and the US.
Maphwanya came under fire for suggesting that South Africa and Iran have common goals. He also criticised Israel for its actions in the ongoing war in Gaza.
Following his comments, the US asked South Africa for clarification on its policy on Iran – an adversary of the US.
Maphwanya has since submitted a report about the trip and his comments, which Defence Minister Angie Motshekga said she was satisfied with.
ALSO READ: Maphwanya’s Iran fiasco: EFF takes fresh shots at Trump
Deteriorating state of Johannesburg
For many Joburg residents, it was very convenient that Ramaphosa launched the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group to deal with the sorry state of the city ahead of the G20 Summit.
For years, potholes and dysfunctional traffic lights have become part of their daily lives.
Yet it seemed like all it took to fix what was broken was South Africa hosting various heads of state.
In March, Ramaphosa – who is a resident of Johannesburg – expressed that what has become of the city surprised him.
“I was going to Soweto one night and drove through the city and township – it was like driving through darkness,” the president said during a City of Johannesburg Council meeting.
“I longed to see the beautiful contours of the city, but I saw nothing.”
Unfortunately, “nothing” had been a constant feature of the city for some time.
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