South African Leader Rebuts Trump’s Genocide Claims in Tense Meeting
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described his May 21, 2025, White House visit as a “great success,” despite a heated confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump over baseless claims of genocide against white Afrikaner farmers. Speaking to reporters, Ramaphosa emphasized achieving his goal of resetting U.S.-South Africa relations, focusing on trade, investment, and continued bilateral engagement.
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump dimmed the lights to play a video of opposition politician Julius Malema singing “Kill the Boer,” falsely claiming it evidenced systematic killings of white farmers. Ramaphosa firmly countered that such rhetoric does not reflect government policy, noting South Africa’s high crime rate affects all races, with 44 farm-related murders in 2024, mostly non-racial. He suggested Trump harbors “doubt and disbelief” about his claims.
Post-confrontation, Ramaphosa and Trump held a private lunch discussing trade, investment, and golf, joined by figures like South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johann Rupert. Ramaphosa’s calm demeanor contrasted with Trump’s aggressive stance, which echoed Elon Musk’s discredited assertions of anti-white violence. The U.S. recently granted refugee status to 59 Afrikaners, a move Ramaphosa called misguided.
While Ramaphosa downplayed the drama, saying, “I’m sorry we disappointed you,” critics like the EFF’s Malema deemed the visit a failure, and some South Africans questioned its value. The meeting, meant to bolster trade ties, was overshadowed by Trump’s focus on a debunked narrative, straining relations amid South Africa’s push for equitable land reform and economic recovery.