U.S. President Donald Trump raised allegations of a massacre against white farmers in South Africa during a summit with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, causing a diplomatic stir. President Ramaphosa immediately refuted the claims, stating, "There is no genocide in South Africa."
On the 21st (local time), the U.S.-South Africa summit held at the White House began in a friendly atmosphere, but tensions escalated as President Trump took questions from reporters. Trump screened a video that included scenes of far-left politicians' incitement speeches and land confiscation claims, asserting, "White farmers are being collectively murdered," and called it "a sad situation" that farmers are leaving South Africa.
He then pressed President Ramaphosa, saying, "You are allowing them to take the land, and when the land is seized, they kill the white farmers. Yet, nothing happens." He also presented articles related to the topic. The video featured claims of a "Boer genocide" mentioned by far-right factions.
In response to the abrupt video screening and presentation of materials, President Ramaphosa appeared taken aback, stating, "The politician in the video is merely a figure from a minor party unrelated to the government." He emphasized that "land cannot be taken recklessly, and most of those who have died as a result of crime are black," asserting that claims of a genocide targeting only white individuals are not true.
In a subsequent press conference, President Ramaphosa reiterated, "There is no form of genocide in South Africa." He also questioned President Trump’s reference to specific locations, stating, "I don't know where that scene was." He added, "We learned from former President Nelson Mandela that we should resolve issues through dialogue," and expressed willingness to discuss the concerns raised by President Trump.
The meeting took place in the official conference room with U.S. mainstream media and renowned South African golfer Ernie Els, along with South African government officials in attendance. Some participants publicly remarked that President Trump's claims were not accurate.
The U.S. White House posted the video on its official social media account X (formerly Twitter) titled "Evidence of persecution in South Africa" shortly after the meeting. However, U.S. media outlets, including the Associated Press, CNN, and The Washington Post, pointed out that President Trump's claims of "white genocide" are "baseless accusations" or "not true."
Since early this year, President Trump has been asserting that white farmers in South Africa are systematically being persecuted and issued an executive order to halt aid to South Africa. He also expelled the South African ambassador to the U.S. and carried out measures to accept some Afrikaner white individuals as refugees.
Meanwhile, President Trump, regarding his attendance at the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November, stated, "It means nothing without the U.S.," yet avoided providing a definitive answer. President Ramaphosa expressed hope for restoring relations with the U.S. at the G20, stating, "South Africa possesses nine key mineral resources, including rare earths, and cooperation between the two countries is essential."