During this tense and unforeseen moment in a diplomatic meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump prosecuted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on allegations of land seizures and mass killings of white South Africans. The televised exchange in the Oval Office strongly resembled Trump’s February meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Ramaphosa had come to Washington with trade-related discussions and cooperation on critical minerals seriously in mind; he was instead met with allegations long dismissed by South African government officials. At first, the president politely opened the sitting with some genial chitchat, including discussions of golfing with famed South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. With the presentation of the video and documents allegedly proving the persecution of whites, however, the tone suddenly took a very different path.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their lands are being sequestered, and in numerous cases, they are being killed,” Trump said, turning through documents carrying headlines of alleged killings as he spoke. He emphasized each occurrence with a forceful reiteration of the word “death.”
The video with sequences of white crosses, said to be representing the cemeteries of murdered white farmers, and incendiary speeches by South African opposition leaders, appeared to shock a silently observing Ramaphosa who had to over-extend his neck lining to better view the footage. Trump made specific calls for the arrest of one opposition figure, Julius Malema.
Without showing any emotions, Ramaphosa said, “There is crime in South Africa, and far more victims are indeed Black.” Trump interrupted, “Farmers aren’t Black,” bringing up the allegations of ethnically motivated violence once farther.
The South African president repeated his willingness to discuss the issues but underscored that the claims laid before them by Trump were false. South Africa has for some time denied allegations that white citizens are being targeted systematically. Official sources back these claims, showing that crime affects all racial groups equally, with Black South Africans comprising the plurality of victims.
Ramaphosa said there was crime in South Africa, and the maturity of victims were Black. Trump cut him off and said” The growers are n’t Black.”
Ramaphosa responded” These are enterprises we’re willing to talk to you about.”
The South African leader remained collected throughout the scene.
In recent months, Trump has criticised the land reform law and South Africa’s genocide court case against Israel.
He has cancelled aid, expelled South Africa’s minister and offered retreat to white nonage Afrikaners grounded on ethnical demarcation claims Pretoria says are unwarranted.
The United States is South Africa’s alternate- biggest bilateral trading mate after China. But the country is facing a 30 tariff under Trump’s presently suspended” Liberation Day” governance, and Ramaphosa was keen to bandy a trade deal and business openings.
latterly in the meeting, South African business mogul Johann Rupert, who was part of Ramaphosa’s delegation, stepped in to back up Ramaphosa, saying that crime was a problem across the board and numerous Black people were dying too.
He jounced to Elon Musk, Trump’s South Africa- born billionaire supporter who was also present in the Oval Office, by saying that his Starlink telecoms systems were demanded in every South African police station to combat crime.