Donald Trump has long been preoccupied with South Africa’s most fraught and emotional domestic policy issue: land. In his first term the US president directed his then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — via Twitter — to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures” and the supposed “large-scale killing of farmers”.

Ramaphosa enjoyed a brief wave of sympathy after his White House ambush but he is a problematic leader, writes Sizwe Mpofu Walsh.