Ramaphosa denies claims of genocide and meets with Trump to discuss trade and investment

President Ramaphosa has urged Trump to pay attention to South Africans, who maintain that accusations of genocide are untrue and divert attention from the objectives of economic cooperation.

US President Donald Trump’s assertions that white farmers in South Africa are the victims of a planned genocide have been sharply disputed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who used a high-level meeting in Washington to reject the narrative and refocus the discussion on economic cooperation.

When asked directly what would persuade him that there is no genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa said, “President Trump will need to hear the voices of South Africans, some of whom are his close friends, like those who are here.” It will take President Trump to listen to us when we are conversing at another table in silence.

Ramaphosa brushed aside claims of organized violence against white farmers as baseless. These three gentlemen, including my Minister of Agriculture, would not be present if there had been an Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can assure you. He pointed to the members of his delegation and remarked, “He would not be with me.”

One of the most well-known white political personalities in South Africa, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, joined Ramaphosa. He is also the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance. Steenhuisen took issue at Trump’s frequent assertions that white farmers are escaping South Africa because they are being persecuted.

He said that most farmers in South Africa choose to remain in their country rather than go to the United States. He said that in order to safeguard all farmers, the government is taking action against livestock theft, which is becoming a bigger problem in rural areas.

Steenhuisen also took issue with the video footage that Trump had previously shown in the White House, which included Julius Malema, the controversial firebrand politician. “Those individuals in that video are not government representatives,” he stated. “To boost our economy and keep individuals like Malema out, we need the help of our allies.”

In attendance, South African billionaire Johann Rupert underlined the need to transcend myths based on race. According to Rupert, “South Africa has too many deaths, and they are across racial groups,” highlighting the fact that violent crime is a larger social problem. In reference to the need for better communication infrastructure, Rupert continued, “We need Starlink at every police station,” turning to Elon Musk, another South African-born person there.

Ramaphosa reframed the US-South Africa relationship as one founded on economic opportunity and partnership during the meeting. He claimed that “crime flourishes when people are unemployed.” “We are here primarily to encourage trade and investment so that we can expand our economy—with your help.”

Although international human rights watchdogs have largely debunked Trump’s prior double-down on accusations of a “white genocide” in South Africa, South African officials made a strong and united stand against what they called a misrepresentation of the nation’s complex realities.

The gathering was part of a calculated diplomatic attempt by Ramaphosa’s government to shift the focus from divisive rhetoric to long-term development objectives.