WASHINGTON, May 21 — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa found himself in a heated exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Wednesday. The meeting was intended to ease tensions between the countries but quickly escalated as Trump launched into debunked claims of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa.
The encounter came a week after the U.S. government granted asylum to nearly 60 South African Afrikaners, which South Africa’s leadership described as a provocative move. Ramaphosa arrived at the White House looking to mend relations, particularly concerning trade issues, as South Africa faces a forthcoming 30% tariff on its exports once Trump’s temporary tax pause ends in July.
Things began cordially until Trump requested the room lighting be dimmed for a video presentation. The mood shifted dramatically when the video depicted a protest featuring white crosses, which Trump claimed were burial sites of murdered farmers, a narrative that has been discredited.
During the presentation, Trump referred to opposition leader Julius Malema’s inflammatory songs calling for violence against farmers, asking Ramaphosa why such figures weren’t arrested. Ramaphosa strategically pointed out that such views do not represent government policy. ‘We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves,’ he stated.
Ramaphosa addressed Trump’s claims of violence against white farmers, asserting, ‘If there was a genocide, these three gentlemen [his white delegation members] would not be here.’ He emphasized that the majority of violent crime in South Africa affects black citizens and that crime is a nationwide issue.
Trump maintained his stance, insisting on the existence of land seizures and violence against white farmers, despite statistics showing that violent crime disproportionately affects black South Africans. In the last quarter of 2024, only 12 out of nearly 10,000 murders in South Africa were farm-related, including various demographics.
‘You allow them to take land, and when they take the land, they kill the white farmer,’ Trump claimed, which Ramaphosa refuted, clarifying that new legislation which allows for land expropriation is not currently in effect against white farmers. Ramaphosa reiterated, ‘There is just no genocide in South Africa.’
The meeting’s intensity caught observers off guard, reflecting a broader destabilization in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and South Africa, especially since Trump’s administration has actively criticized the nation’s land reform policies.
Former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Patrick Gaspard, labeled the confrontation as a premeditated attempt to embarrass Ramaphosa, noting, ‘There was every intention to humiliate him.’ Meanwhile, opposition leader Malema later mocked the meeting on social media, calling it a ‘group of older men meet in Washington to gossip about me.’
As the meeting concluded, Ramaphosa attempted to redirect the dialogue towards economic cooperation, highlighting shared interests in trade. Despite the friction, Ramaphosa expressed hopes that ongoing discussions could lead to the U.S. fostering a more supportive stance towards South Africa. ‘We require more investment from the United States and we require a more positive disposition from the United States,’ he said.
