Tensions flared during a meeting in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday afternoon, with the two leaders at odds over allegations of so-called White genocide in South Africa.
The meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump was described as discussions about relations, both trade and diplomatic. Ramaphosa posted to his X account on Tuesday that “the trade relations between South Africa and the United States will be the focus of my working visit. We aim to strengthen and consolidate relations between our two countries.”
The visit began cordially, with Trump welcoming Ramaphosa by saying it was a “great honor” to host him and offered a backhanded compliment that Ramaphosa was “highly respected in some circles, and less so in others—just like all of us.” Ramaphosa opened his remarks by expressing hope for improved relations between the two nations: “we’re here today to recalibrate the partnership between South Africa and the United States.”
The visit between the two leaders was attended by South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, taking place amid a diplomatic strain following the U.S. government’s recent decision to grant refugee status to 59 White Afrikaners. Musk has also been vocal about the plight of South African landowners, amplifying claims of “white genocide.” Afrikaners are a White ethnic group in South Africa descended from Dutch settlers. Afrikaans, their native language, is rooted in Dutch and is one of South Africa’s 12 official languages.
Ramaphosa answer a question posed to Trump about what might convince him that White genocide is not occurring in South Africa. He said, referring to golfing legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, as well as billionaire Johann Rupert, who accompanied him: “it’s going to require President Trump to truly hear the voices of South Africans—some of whom are his friends, like the guests with me today. We’ll need to sit down and have honest conversations. I don’t intend to repeat myself on this issue.”
Trump has consistently claimed that White farmers in South Africa are facing genocide—a characterization that both Ramaphosa and the South African government have firmly denied. During the meeting, Trump remarked that “Elon wanted” the Afrikaners to be admitted to the U.S. as refugees, though Musk remained silent throughout the session.
Trump stated there are “thousands” of reports and documentaries highlighting violence against White South Africans — at which point he directed his staff to lower the lights in the Oval Office and played a video depicting what he claimed were scenes of attacks and burial sites involving White farmers. As the video ended, the discussion between the two leaders clashed – with Ramaphosa saying he hadn’t previously seen the footage presented by Trump’s team and stressed that the content of the video did not reflect official government policy. He also condemned the narrative used in the video.
Ramaphosa and members of his delegation also clarified that violent crime in South Africa is a widespread issue impacting people of all races, not just white citizens: “there’s definitely criminal activity in our country, but those affected are not only White individuals. In fact, the majority of the victims are Black South Africans.”
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