Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the use of inflammatory language that glorifies killing and rejected claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa, warning that such rhetoric threatens social cohesion and could damage the country’s efforts to attract investment.
In his latest weekly letter published by the Presidency on Monday, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s constitutional values of equality, non-racialism and human dignity must be protected.
“In a country with unacceptably high levels of violent crime, language that glorifies killing or encourages hostility has no place in our public life,” he said.
Ramaphosa also criticised people who travel abroad to promote claims of a “white genocide”, saying this undermines South Africa’s interests.
Heritage is not only what we celebrate. It is also what we defend.
We cannot allow violence against women to define who we are.
The abuse, rape and killing of women is a stain on our national conscience. We cannot claim to be a society founded on freedom, equality and human… pic.twitter.com/28xEftUCRD
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 28, 2026
“At a time when unemployment is high and we need to grow our economy and attract investment, travelling to foreign capitals to spread the falsehood of a ‘white genocide’ and discourage investment in one’s own country, is neither responsible nor patriotic,” he said.
The remarks come amid renewed tensions between Pretoria and Washington over allegations that white Afrikaners face systematic persecution in South Africa.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola recently rejected the claims, saying there is no evidence of persecution.
“It is clearly targeted at those who are only Afrikaners. We have said that [as] the South African government, we do not agree with it because it’s race-based, it’s clear, and there’s no persecution,” Lamola said.
The dispute has escalated after the United States announced visa restrictions targeting unnamed South Africans it accuses of involvement in race-based discrimination, incitement of violence and policies relating to land expropriation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the South African government of failing to address what Washington described as discrimination against Afrikaners. Pretoria rejected the characterisation of its policies.
United by the constitutional values
The Presidency said South Africa remained committed to correcting the injustices of apartheid, but rejected comparisons between constitutional redress measures and the former system of racial oppression.
“There is no moral equivalence between redress and discrimination,” Ramaphosa said.
He also warned against rhetoric that could deepen racial divisions, saying South Africans have a responsibility to protect the country’s social fabric.
“We must guard against words and actions that polarise communities, inflame public opinion and reopen the wounds of our past,” he said.
Ramaphosa’s comments come as the government faces pressure to address violent crime while simultaneously defending its policies on land reform, economic redress and race relations amid increasingly strained relations with the United States.
The President said South Africa’s constitutional values should remain the basis for addressing these challenges.
“We may be a diverse nation, but we are united by the constitutional values that make us South African,” he said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
