Trump, hosting Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, played a montage that included scenes of what he said were graves belonging to over a thousand white farmers. “It’s a terrible sight… I’ve never seen anything like it. Those people are all killed,” he remarked.
The encounter started on a friendly note, with Trump complimenting South African golfers who were present. However, the tone shifted quickly when the lights were dimmed and a series of video clips were shown, reportedly featuring South African officials calling for violence against white farmers. Throughout the display, Mr Ramaphosa remained mostly silent and expressionless. Responding later, he said, “I’d like to know where that is because this [the alleged burial site in the video] I’ve never seen.”
This moment echoed a similar surprise Trump had sprung on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. Nonetheless, after spending nearly three hours at the White House, Ramaphosa maintained that the discussion had gone “very well.” At a press briefing, he clearly stated: “There is just no genocide in South Africa.”
The official White House X account posted the video that had been shown during the meeting, describing it as “proof of persecution in South Africa”. However, South African officials have strongly denied that white citizens are being specifically targeted more than others by criminal activities.
Included in the footage was a clip of Julius Malema, a controversial communist politician, singing a divisive anti-apartheid song with lyrics about killing a farmer. Trump accused the South African authorities of ignoring what he called a crisis affecting white farmers.
Trump told reporters, “We have many people that feel they’re being persecuted, and they’re coming to the United States. So we take from many… locations, if we feel there’s persecution or genocide going on,” directly referring to white farmers.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they’re being killed.”
Pointing to individuals shown in the video, Trump added: “These are people that are officials and they’re saying… kill the white farmer and take their land.” He also held up printed news articles about murdered white farmers, saying “death, death” as he flipped through them, and noted, “Here’s burial sites all over the place, these are all white farmers that are being buried.”
Ramaphosa countered these allegations by asserting, “What you saw, the speeches that were being made, that is not government policy. We have a multi-party democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves, political parties to adhere to various policies.
“And in many cases, or in some cases, those policies do not go along with government policy.
“Our government policy is completely, completely against what he [a person in the video montage] was saying, even in the parliament. And they are a small minority party which is allowed to exist in terms of our constitution.”
The manner in which the videos were presented, with dramatic lighting and emotionally charged scenes, suggested a carefully orchestrated effort by Trump’s team. As the intense and disturbing content echoed through the Oval Office, Ramaphosa watched with a stern face, only speaking up to question the authenticity of the location shown in the clips. Trump flatly replied, “South Africa.” Ramaphosa then directed his aides to verify the content.
The rest of the conversation saw Ramaphosa employ diplomatic charm, quietly resisting Trump’s claims while underscoring the reality that South Africa’s violent crime rate affects black citizens disproportionately. His reserved approach appeared calculated, especially as key trade negotiations involving £6 billion were at stake.
Despite this composed strategy, tensions were visible, especially as Elon Musk was seen in the background of the Oval Office with a stern expression. Musk, who has amplified the false claims of “white genocide” on X, is simultaneously pushing to get his Starlink project authorised in South Africa—adding another layer of complexity to diplomatic relations.
Ramaphosa again clarified, “We are completely opposed to that.” He acknowledged the presence of crime in South Africa, but pointed out that the majority of victims are black. When he made that point, Trump interrupted: “The farmers are not black.” Ramaphosa replied, “These are concerns we are willing to talk to you about.”
In February, Trump signed an executive order to cut all aid to South Africa over disagreements on domestic and international matters. He also expelled the country’s ambassador and offered refugee protection to white Afrikaners, alleging racial discrimination—claims South Africa has dismissed as groundless.
Experts and analysts in South Africa have reiterated that there is no evidence supporting claims of white citizens being systematically targeted. Violence against farmers—both white and black—is part of the wider crime issue affecting the nation.
