White House can't snub the Union Buildings: 'We are not being blue ticked' - Ramaphosa

JOHANNESBURG - The government has dismissed claims that it’s being ignored by the United States of America (USA) as it intensifies efforts to resolve diplomatic tensions with the White House.

South Africa has been in the bad books of the USA since Donald Trump’s re-election as president.

In the last two months, Trump has signed an executive order against the Union Buildings and recently expelled its ambassador to Washington – Ebrahim Rasool.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Bana Pele leadership summit in Johannesburg on Monday,

Ramaphosa confirmed the government is diplomatically engaging the US.

Minority lobby group AfriForum recently visited the White House in Washington to meet senior officials in the Trump administration.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA), a member of the Government of National Unity, was also in the US for what it calls a working visit aimed at stabilising diplomatic ties with America.

This has led to some questioning why the Trump administration has been engaging everyone but the South African government.

However, Ramaphosa says it isn’t true that the US has been ignoring the Union Buildings.

“We are not being blue ticked. We cannot be blue ticked because we are such an important player to the United States of America as they are an important player to South Africa. So we are not blue tickable.”

Ramaphosa announced last month that he would send a delegation to the US to mend relations with the Trump administration.