Washington D.C., United States - President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected claims of a white genocide in South Africa, reaffirming the nation's democratic principles that uphold freedom of expression for all citizens.
This during a high-stakes meeting with the United States President Donald Trump, at the Oval Office in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, which was part of a broader mission by the South African delegation to reset and strengthen relations with the United States.
In an unprecedented turn, President Trump played video clips of South African opposition party leaders chanting "kill the boer" to substantiate accusations that white South Africans, particularly farmers, were being systematically targeted and killed.
President Ramaphosa, who remained composed throughout the exchange, firmly pushed back on the narrative. He clarified the government's position and explained South Africa has a democracy that allows people to express themselves.
"What you saw on the speeches that have been made, is not government policy. We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves. Political parties adhere to various policies, in many cases those policies do not go along with government policy," he said.
He clarified that the government of South Africa did not endorse such rhetoric and reiterated that the views expressed in the clips represented fringe voices within the country's vibrant multiparty democracy.
"They are a small minority party which is allowed to exist in terms of our Constitution. Nobody can take land. There is criminality in our country. People who do get killed unfortunately through criminal activity are not only white people, but the majority of them are also black people," he said.
In a bid to shift the conversation toward constructive engagement, President Ramaphosa urged for a more measured and private dialogue on the matter.
"I would like us to talk about this issue very calmly. We were taught by President Nelson Mandela that whenever there are problems, people need to sit down around the table and talk about them and this is precisely what we would also like to talk about, including trade matters.
"In many ways, one should say you are a partner of South Africa, and you are raising concerns, and these are concerns we are willing to talk to you about," he said.
The President acknowledged the issue of criminality in South Africa which he said he would like the U.S. to assist with.
"The criminality that we are experiencing in our country needs quite a lot of technological capability... and there is support that we can get from you as the United States to help us deal with all these acts of criminality and that is what I believe partnership is all about and we are here as a partners so that we can help each other," the President said.
At the beginning of the talks, President Ramaphosa maintained that the delegation was in the United States to reset relations.
READ I All eyes on President Ramaphosa as Washington visit puts SA-US relations in focus
When asked what it would take for President Trump to believe that there was no genocide in South Africa, President Ramaphosa responded by saying that it would require him to listen to the parties in the delegation.
The South African delegation at the Oval Office included Cabinet Ministers and figures such as billionaire Johann Rupert and professional golfer Ernie Els. Both men sought to dispel the notion that white South Africans were being persecuted.
Rupert said that while the crime rate was high, it was "across the board".
"It's not only white farmers," he said. He sought to focus the meeting on South Africa's need for technological development.
As President Ramaphosa was leaving the White House, reporters shouted a few questions in his direction about the subsequent closed-door meeting. The President responded that the meeting went "very well".
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Background
Claims of a white genocide in South Africa have circulated particularly among far-right groups in the U.S. and abroad, alleging that white farmers are being deliberately targeted and killed.
These claims have been widely discredited by fact-checkers, human rights organisations, and South African crime statistics, which show that violent crime affects all racial groups, with black South Africans disproportionately affected.
The President's visit comes at a time when the U.S. has officially granted refugee status to the 49 white Afrikaners, an action that the South African government has expressed concern over.
The Oval Office meeting marked the first time the two leaders engaged directly on the issue.
President Ramaphosa's visit was part of a broader economic diplomacy push, aimed at resetting the relations between the two nations, attracting U.S. investment and reasserting South Africa's position as a stable and cooperative international partner. - SAnews.gov.za
