Trump ambushes S African leader with claim of Afrikaners being ‘persecuted’ – Nsemkeka
US President Donald Trump seemed to ambush his South African counterpart at the White House on Wednesday, confronting him with a video that Trump said supported his claim that white farmers were being “persecuted” in the country.
The footage, shown during a news conference with Cyril Ramaphosa, purported to show the gravesites of murdered farmers. Trump did not say where it was filmed, and the footage has not been verified by the BBC.
Ramaphosa – who appeared to weigh up carefully how to respond – disputed Trump’s allegation. He said black people were far more likely to be victims of violence in South Africa than white people.
Trump also said that he would seek an “explanation” from his guest on widely discredited claims of a white “genocide” in South Africa.
Ramaphosa came to the White House on Wednesday for trade talks to reset US-South African relations.
He had hoped to charm Trump with the inclusion of two of South Africa’s best-known golfers in the delegation. Ramaphosa also came equipped with a gift of a huge book featuring his country’s golf courses.
But after a cordial start, the mood in the Oval Office shifted as Trump asked for the lighting to be lowered so a video could be played.
The film featured the voice of leading South African opposition figure Julius Malema singing the song: “Shoot the Boer [Afrikaner], Shoot the farmer”.
It also showed a field of crosses, which the US president, talking over the images, said was a burial site of white farmers.
He then handed Ramaphosa what appeared to be print-outs of stories of white people being attacked in South Africa.
“What you saw – the speeches that were made… that is not government policy,” Ramaphosa responded.
“We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves.
“Our government policy is completely against what he [Malema] was saying even in the parliament and they are a small minority party, which is allowed to exist according to our constitution.”