President Donald Trump appeared to catch South African President Cyril Ramaphosa off guard during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
With reporters present, Trump questioned Ramaphosa about the killings of white farmers in South Africa.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety," Trump said. “Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they’re being killed.”
In a surprising move, Trump asked for the lights in the Oval Office to be dimmed and played a 4-minute video that the White House described as "proof of persecution in South Africa." The footage showed South African politician Julius Malema calling for violence against white South Africans, as well as images of what the administration alleges was white "Afrikaner" farmers being evicted from their land.
Ramaphosa distanced himself from Malema, emphasizing that he is a member of an opposition party and does not represent the South African government.
“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African government participated in the meeting, calling it an opportunity to reset its relationship with the U.S., which has cut funding due to what President Trump has described as "white genocide." The two nations have worked together on a host of issues in the past, including trade and investment in the African continent. In fact, according to the Congressional Research Service, South Africa has remained America's largest trading partner on the continent since 2019.
Despite the obvious tension in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Ramaphosa remained calm, allowing others in the room, including professional golfers from South Africa, to articulate how the U.S. can help it combat crime in the country. This is also not the first time there has been friction between President Trump and Ramaphosa. During his first term, President Trump criticized his South African counterpart about "white genocide" as well.
According to the farmers' union representing white farmers in South Africa, there were 32 farm murders in 2024 out of nearly 20,000 total homicides. Most of the victims were farm workers.
