A high-stakes meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. Wednesday was overshadowed by contentious claims from the US leader regarding the “genocide” of white Afrikaners in South Africa.
The summit, intended to recalibrate bilateral relations and foster economic ties, instead prompted pushback from the South African delegation against what they deem unfounded accusations.
Trump, who has previously championed the cause of Afrikaner resettlement in the US, reiterated his claims of persecution, stating, “We do have a lot of people [who] are very concerned with regard to South Africa… we have many people that feel they’re being persecuted, and they’re coming to the United States. So we take from many of many locations, if we feel there’s persecution or genocide going on.”
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He further asserted his intention to seek an “explanation” from President Ramaphosa on the matter.
In a particularly tense moment during their meeting, Trump presented a video that depicted “burial sites of thousands of white farmers.”
A portion of the video showed speeches made by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, calling for violence against white farmers. President Ramaphosa directly pushed back against this, explaining that such speeches are “not government policy.”
A visibly uncomfortable Ramaphosa questioned the source of the footage, stating, “This I’ve never seen,” to which Trump maintained it was from South Africa. The South African leader has consistently rejected these “genocide” claims, urging Trump to “listen to the voices of South Africans” to understand the true situation.
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“We have a multi-party democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves, political parties to adhere to various policies,” Ramaphosa stated. “And in many cases, or in some cases, those policies do not go align with government policy. Our government policy is completely, completely against what [the speaker in the video] was saying. They’re a small minority party that is allowed to exist in terms of our Constitution.”
Ramaphosa further denied that land was being confiscated and people were being killed, while acknowledging that crime is a significant issue in South Africa, affecting both white and Black residents.
Despite Ramaphosa’s direct refutations, Trump then ran through a series of articles he said showed further proof of the persecution.
Trump insisted, “They kill the white farmers, and when they kill the white farmers, nothing happens to them.”
President Ramaphosa emphasized his desire to “reset” and “recalibrate” ties with the United States despite the friction, focusing on trade and investment opportunities.
He highlighted that 22 South African companies are currently investing in the US, with nearly 600 US companies operating in South Africa. Ramaphosa also expressed optimism about discussing potential opportunities for Tesla and Starlink, companies owned by South African-born Elon Musk, who has himself been critical of Ramaphosa’s government.
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The South African delegation expressed hopes for “frank and constructive discussions” in the Oval Office, indicating a desire to navigate the contentious issues while advancing their national interests.
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