A high-stakes Oval Office meeting between US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took an unexpected turn as Trump raised controversial allegations of violence against white farmers in South Africa.
During their media appearance, Trump claimed white South African farmers were “fleeing” the country and presented a series of videos, photographs, and news clippings to support what he described as a targeted campaign of violence. “It’s a terrible sight, never seen anything like it,” he said, showing footage that allegedly depicted a burial site for white victims.
Ramaphosa, visibly caught off guard, denied that the South African government had ever sanctioned violence against any racial group. “Those chants you hear are not government policy,” he said, responding to a video showing opposition politician Julius Malema singing “shoot the Boer”—a controversial phrase referring to white farmers.
When asked what it would take for Trump to believe there is no white genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa responded, “It will take you listening to the voices of South Africans—your friends in the room right now. If there were a genocide, they would not be here as part of this delegation.”
Tensions rose as Trump pivoted swiftly to videos prepared ahead of time—an unusual setup for the Oval Office—using them to support his claims. At one point, he narrated the footage, flipping through a stack of printed articles and photos of alleged victims, and demanded answers from the South African delegation. “We’re going to talk about it,” he said sternly.
Ramaphosa, attempting to regain composure, pointed out that the footage lacked context. “Have they told you where that is, Mr President?” he asked about one of the videos. When Trump replied that he didn’t know, Ramaphosa remarked, “I’d like to know where it is, as I’ve never seen it before.”
The South African leader then stressed that his country is a democracy where people of all races suffer from criminal violence. “People who get killed in South Africa are not only white people, but include black people too,” he said.
Melissa Enoch
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