ANC&#x2019s January 8 statement: We won&#x2019t be divided or bullied, says Ramaphosa

Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the ANC's January 8 Statement at Moruleng Stadium on Saturday.

Rosetta Msimango/News24

Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised South Africa’s dedication to transformation and unity.Speaking during the ANC January 8 Statement,Ramaphosa rejected internal and global forces attempting to undermine these principles.The ANC held its 114th anniversary commemoration at Moruleng Stadium in North West. The president of the ANC,Cyril Ramaphosa,reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to transformation and unity,rejecting both internal and global forces that seek to undermine these values.

Speaking at the ANC’s January 8 Statement event at Moruleng Stadium,North West,on Saturday,Ramaphosa warned of growing threats to democracy,equality and social justice worldwide.

“This attack seeks to delegitimise any government that aims to address inequality,like our government.

“Whether between nations,communities,gender,race and individuals,it seeks to undermine the existing rule-based order in the world and human civilisation to an era of might,where might is right,to an era of privilege and to an era of subjugation,and to an era where imperialism becomes the order of the day for mighty and strong nations,” said Ramaphosa.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ramaphosa drew inspiration from a speech delivered by former ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli 65 years ago,when he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Luthuli,he said,had emphasised the importance of liberation,equality,and the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity.

“The vast majority of South Africans,and indeed global humanity,embrace these values articulated by Chief Albert Luthuli – the values of freedom,non-racialism,non-sexism,and human solidarity,” Ramaphosa said.

However,he cautioned against an “increasingly vocal minority” in South Africa that aligns itself with global movements attacking these principles and propagating falsehoods.

ADVERTISEMENT

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken to the podium to deliver the January 8 statement.

He is delivering his address to a barely full 20 000 seater Moruleng Stadium.#ANC114 @News24 pic.twitter.com/S5haPhRFOl

— Bongekile Macupe (@BongeMacupe) January 10,2026

“Their aim is to undermine South Africa’s constitutional democracy,to undermine our non-racialism,non-sexism and transformation project,” said Ramaphosa.

He added:

They employ multifaceted tactics,including the propagation of blatant falsehoods,such as the claim that there is white genocide in South Africa. They do this to attract sympathy and solidarity from global racist movements and individuals.

Ramaphosa did not name specific groups. Such claims have been amplified by US President Donald Trump.

Last year,Ramaphosa met with Trump at the White House to dispel these allegations,but the US government subsequently opened its borders to white Afrikaners seeking refugee status. Despite this,few Afrikaners have taken up the offer.

Speaking at the Peter Mokaba Memorial Lecture in Mogwase on Friday,ANC Youth League president Collen Malatjie asked why AfriForum was still “allowed” to operate in South Africa,given its alleged role in spreading falsehoods.

Malatjie also criticised Ramaphosa’s trip to the White House,calling it an act of “cowardice”.

READ | ‘The ANC is not the problem’: Mbalula vows to give disgruntled Rustenburg residents answers

Ramaphosa urged South Africans to resist efforts to sow division and undermine democracy.

He said: “Reversing the gaze of democracy by any means has become an increasingly open objective of domestic anti-transformation forces and their global allies.

“Therefore,given these challenges,the current conjuncture demands that we build the broadest united front to defend,consolidate and advance the National Democratic Revolution,our constitutional democracy,as well as our status as a sovereign country in the family of nations.”

Ramaphosa said no one would break the unity of South Africans,especially by those hellbent on doing wrong things.

“That is why we say we,as a people,refuse to be divided,we refuse even to be bullied by anyone,whether here or around the world,and our call continues to be: we will not be bullied.

“We are South Africans. We are united in our will and our resolve. Those who want to divide us must think again,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Editor’s note: This article was updated following publication