South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with former United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday to respond directly to claims that white farmers are being killed and having their lands taken by black South Africans.
The meeting took place in the Oval Office after Trump repeated a claim he had made in the past, accusing South Africa of allowing violence against white farmers, which he referred to as “white genocide.”
He presented video clips and images during the meeting, including footage of opposition politicians using harsh language and a picture that he claimed showed graves of murdered white farmers.
Ramaphosa challenged the claim and explained that the image did not reflect the full reality in South Africa.
He pointed out that he was accompanied by three white South Africans, including his Minister of Agriculture, who would not have joined him if such killings were being carried out against white farmers as a regular or accepted practice.
He urged Trump to hear from those individuals directly and consider their experiences.
Trump maintained his view, accusing Ramaphosa of allowing land to be taken from white South Africans and saying that the killings were not being punished.
Ramaphosa pushed back, saying the South African government does not support illegal land seizures or violence against any group, and that the country’s laws do not allow anyone to take land forcefully.
He further explained that the land reform law signed in January was not designed to target white citizens but to address long-standing land ownership issues rooted in apartheid and colonial history.
Ramaphosa also noted that most victims of violent crime in South Africa are black, not white, and the country is working to tackle its broader crime problems.
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