On a visit to Britain, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday that South Africa wants to deepen its relationship with Britain to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
The South African head of state said after talks with Sunak at his residence at 10 Downing Street in London that he is visiting Britain to promote trade, investment and transition energy, with Britain a key partner for Pretoria.
“I look forward to our talks and really hope that we can expand everything that we do together,” Ramaphosa said, adding that “for us, this is a great opportunity to deepen and expand our ties.”
British Prime Minister Sunak said he was confident that Britain and South Africa “can expand and deepen this relationship”.
“South Africa and the UK are obviously very strong partners, allies and friends, and we share the same goals, including transitioning to clean energy, while creating jobs and opportunities for our citizens,” Sunak concluded.
This diplomatic meeting comes in a delicate context for Cyril Ramaphosa, who is accused, which he denies, of buying the silence of burglars who dropped several million dollars in cash in one of his private properties in February 2020, giving cause for suspicion of money laundering and corruption.
The results of an ongoing investigation could open South Africa’s parliament to a vote on the impeachment of Cyril Ramaphosa, which denounces a political maneuver to prevent him from running for a second presidential term in 2024.