In a tense meeting at the White House on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump questioned South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over unsubstantiated claims of genocide against white farmers in South Africa.
Trump Questions Alleged Attacks on White Afrikaners
Trump raised the issue while referring to reports suggesting white Afrikaner farmers were fleeing South Africa due to violence.
“Generally, they’re white farmers, and they’re fleeing South Africa, and it’s a very sad thing to see. But I hope we can have an explanation of that, because I know you don’t want that,” Trump told Ramaphosa in the Oval Office.
Ramaphosa Dismisses Genocide Claims, Points to Diverse Delegation
Ramaphosa firmly refuted the allegations, pointing to his diverse delegation that included white South Africans.
“If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture, he would not be with me,” CNN quoted Ramaphosa as saying. The group included South African golfers Retief Goosen and Ernie Els, and Agriculture Minister John Henry Steenhuisen.
He encouraged Trump to “(listen) to their stories, to their perspective.”
Trump Screens Controversial Video Compilation
Following the exchange, Trump directed aides to show Ramaphosa a short documentary featuring aerial images of white crosses on graves of alleged murder victims and clips of South African politician Julius Malema.
When Trump asked for a reaction, Ramaphosa said, “I’d like to know where that is because this I’ve never seen,” as reported by The Guardian.
Trump Flashes News Clippings, Repeats “Death, Death”
Holding up printed news reports of alleged killings, Trump added, “Death, death,” while flipping through them. However, he admitted he wasn’t sure what he wanted Ramaphosa to do about the matter.
Ramaphosa calmly responded that the visuals shown did not reflect government actions or intent.
“Our government policy is completely against what (Trump was describing),” he clarified.
Ramaphosa Stresses Context and Reiterates Government’s Position
Ramaphosa emphasized that violence in South Africa is not racially targeted.
“There is criminality in our country … people who do get killed are not only white,” he said, maintaining that crime in South Africa affects all citizens equally.
He then attempted to steer the conversation back to diplomacy, saying, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you.” He expressed willingness to engage in dialogue, adding, “You’re a partner of South Africa, and you’re raising concerns – these are concerns we are willing to talk about.”
Diplomatic Tensions Over Aid and Land Reform
The conversation came amid strained US-South Africa relations, especially following Trump administration actions such as cutting aid, expelling South Africa’s ambassador, and offering asylum to white Afrikaners. These steps were taken based on claims that Pretoria has dismissed as baseless.
Trump, along with South Africa-born adviser Elon Musk, has been critical of South Africa’s land reform efforts aimed at correcting apartheid-era injustices. Trump has accused the South African government of promoting anti-white rhetoric and seizing land from white farmers.
Pretoria has responded by asserting that such allegations distort the historical context and undermine efforts to address inequality resulting from colonial rule and apartheid.
Meeting Holds Economic Weight for South Africa
The White House encounter bears high stakes for South Africa, which counts the US as its second-largest trading partner after China. The recent aid freeze has already hindered key programs like HIV testing, adding urgency to Ramaphosa’s visit.
