Trump Accuses Ramaphosa Of Persecuting White Farmers In South Africa
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of overseeing a state-sanctioned campaign against White farmers, reigniting a long-standing controversy during their meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
It marked the first encounter between the two since Mr. Trump, in his early days as president, halted federal aid to South Africa over land expropriation policies targeting White-owned properties.
During the meeting, Mr Trump criticised South Africa’s Expropriation Bill, which allows the government to seize land without compensation when deemed “just and equitable and in the public interest.”
He labelled the law a racially targeted seizure aimed at White South Africans.
Mr Trump said he had received “tremendous complaints” about the situation in Africa and accused Mr Ramaphosa’s administration of enabling what he called the “genocide of White farmers.”
He directed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin relocating over 2.7 million White South African farmers, with 59 already resettled in the United States under a special refugee programme.
At the meeting, which began with discussions on golf and trade, Mr Trump dimmed the room’s lights to present a video montage that included opposition leader Julius Malema’s infamous chant “Kill the Boer,” which Afrikaner activists cite as incitement.
Mr. Ramaphosa, however, dismissed the claims as misleading.
“South Africa has a crime problem, but it’s not targeted at any one group,” he said.
He insisted that South Africa remains a multiparty democracy and condemned the portrayal of his government as racially biased, adding, “Our policy is against hate, and we believe in dialogue, just as Nelson Mandela taught us.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
