Cape Town – US President Donald Trump is expected to confront President Cyril Ramaphosa during their upcoming meeting at the White House, accusing South Africa of being “out of control” and alleging a “genocide” against white South African and Afrikaner farmers.
Ramaphosa touched down in Washington on Monday afternoon, accompanied by his delegation, for a working visit to the United States, taking place against a backdrop of strained relations between the two nations.
Trump, speaking from Air Force One, claimed these farmers are being “treated brutally” and criticised the media for not covering the issue.
“From all evidence, the farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally, and it’s been reported, and nobody wants to cover it. But they happened to be white, and if they were black, I would do the exact same thing (granting asylum).
Yesterday aboard Air Force One, President Trump said: “All evidence indicates the farmers in South Africa are treated brutally.” He has the receipts I think the upcoming meeting with Ramaphosa won’t go the way the South African government expects. pic.twitter.com/KdEuv0S3UU
— Danie Barnard (@DaanBarnard) May 17, 2025
“We treat people very well where we see a genocide going on. So, it’s a genocide, that’s terrible, and I happen to believe it could very well be. South Africa is out of control, and it’s been out of control for a very long time, and the media doesn’t report it,” Trump said.
Despite concerns that the meeting could turn into a hostile encounter similar to Trump’s past clash with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, dismissed such fears.
He said that Ramaphosa is confident and views the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen US–South Africa relations.
“He’s looking forward to it, he’s highly enthused, and we’re looking forward to a very successful meeting aimed at resetting the relationship between South Africa and the United States. He’s not apprehensive at all.
[WATCH] Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya engages the media in Washington on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s time in the country, and his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump. @ZiyandaNgcobo #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/WWjxnyx9i5
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 19, 2025
“We don’t think President Trump invited President Ramaphosa for that kind of treatment. There are issues of concern on the side of the US and on our side as well. It is possible that those issues may trigger a rather robust discussion, which is only the nature of these engagements. But we believe that the kind of courtesy that we are accustomed to, that heads of state extend to one another, will be in full display tomorrow,” Magwenya said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
