Trump Confronts Ramaphosa Over Disputed White Genocide Claims in South Africa

US President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday regarding widely discredited claims of genocide against white South Africans, creating tension during what was intended to be a diplomatic meeting to reset relations between the two nations.

The confrontation comes just one week after the United States granted asylum to nearly 60 Afrikaners, a move that has strained diplomatic ties between the countries. Rather than focusing on bilateral cooperation, Trump put Ramaphosa on the defensive with claims that white farmers in South Africa were being “brutally killed” and “persecuted.”

What makes the situation unusual is that South Africa’s government allowed the US embassy to process asylum applications within the country and permitted the group to board a chartered flight from Johannesburg’s main international airport—circumstances that diverge significantly from typical refugee scenarios.

Afrikaners, descendants primarily of Dutch (34.8%), German (33.7%), and French (13.2%) settlers who arrived in southern Africa in the mid-17th century, form a distinct cultural group with deep ties to the African continent. Their language, Afrikaans, bears strong similarities to Dutch. Currently, they make up about 4% of South Africa’s population of 60 million.

The historical context is crucial to understanding the current tensions. Afrikaners, also known as Boers (meaning “farmers”), dominated South African politics during the apartheid era from 1948 to 1994, implementing racial segregation policies that denied rights and opportunities to the Black majority. The end of apartheid in 1994 marked the conclusion of Afrikaner political dominance when Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress came to power.

Despite Trump’s assertions, claims of genocide against white South Africans have been roundly rejected by experts and even by South Africa’s own political parties, including those representing white communities. John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance (the second-largest party in South Africa and a coalition partner in Ramaphosa’s government), dismissed Trump’s claims as “nonsense.”

Jaco Kleynhans, a senior official in the Afrikaner lobby group Solidarity, stated that he had informed US government officials that “there’s no genocide and there’s no government seizures [of land].” In February, a South African judge described the idea of white genocide as “clearly imagined” and “not real” in a ruling on an inheritance case.

South African crime statistics tell a different story than what Trump suggests. In a breakdown of farm killings provided by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to debunk genocide claims, data showed that between January and March, five of six people killed on farms were Black and only one was white. In the previous quarter (October to December 2024), just one of twelve murder victims on farms was white.

During their White House meeting in May, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa by playing videos purportedly showing evidence of genocide, including footage of an opposition politician singing a controversial song that some interpret as inciting violence against white South Africans. Ramaphosa condemned the content shown while explaining that South Africa permits free expression.

The song in question—”Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer”—is a trademark of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, who sings it at political rallies. Despite attempts by Afrikaner groups to have it banned as hate speech, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that Malema is within his rights to sing these lyrics, viewing them as political expression rather than literal incitement to violence.

Trump also raised concerns about South Africa’s land reform policies. While the president signed a land reform bill into law in January aimed at addressing historical dispossession of Black South Africans during apartheid, Trump characterized this as “confiscation” of white-owned land. The Democratic Alliance has pledged to challenge the law in South Africa’s highest court, arguing it threatens property rights.

Despite the asylum offer, there’s little evidence of a mass exodus of Afrikaners. From an estimated population of 2.5 million, a business group claimed that approximately 70,000 expressed interest in relocating to the US—representing less than 3% of the Afrikaner population. Many prominent Afrikaner organizations have publicly affirmed their commitment to remain in South Africa.

Corné Mulder, leader of the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party, emphasized in parliament: “We are bound to Africa and will build a future for ourselves and our children here.”

As South Africa prepares to host the G20 summit later this year, Trump expressed uncertainty about attending given what he perceives as an unsafe environment—a comment that further complicates diplomatic relations between the two nations at a critical juncture.