Staff Reporter

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed growing public speculation that South Africa could face a United States military intervention, following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by American forces earlier this week.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Ramaphosa sought to calm domestic anxieties sparked by the White House’s “Operation Absolute Resolve,” which saw U.S. special forces bomb Caracas and apprehend Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3.

“I’m not worried about an invasion of South Africa. Not at all,” Ramaphosa told reporters.

“I think we are way far from anything like that.” The President’s remarks come at a time of heightened tension between Pretoria and Washington.

Relations have been strained by the second Trump administration’s criticism of South African land reform policies and its diplomatic stance on international conflicts.

Despite these frictions, Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa remains committed to a policy of non-confrontational engagement.

“We have always believed that any differences with whichever country, including the U.S., need to be discussed.

We need to sit down and find solutions,” Ramaphosa said.

“We follow the Madiba doctrine, a doctrine of discussions, of engagements, negotiations, and collaboration.”

While Ramaphosa projected a calm demeanor regarding national security, his government has been sharp in its critique of the U.S. operation in South America.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) characterized the strike on Caracas as a manifest violation of the United Nations Charter.

“South Africa views these actions as a violation of the territorial integrity and political independence of a sovereign state,” said DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.

The South African government has formally called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address the unlawful, unilateral force used in Venezuela, arguing that such actions undermine the stability of the global order.