Trump's treatment of Ramaphosa disappoints South Africans – DW – 05/22/2025

DW

22-05-2025

US President Donald Trump ambushed his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, with unfounded allegations of a "white genocide." Ramaphosa's calm demeanor and measured responses drew praise.
South Africans voiced disappointment at US President Donald Trump's treatment of their president, Cyril Ramaphosa, during talks at the White House on Wednesday.
Repeatedly interrupted by Trump, Ramaphosa calmly challenged claims that minority Afrikaners were the targets of a "white genocide."
A video aired by Trump during the meeting in Washington showed the leader of a fringe, radical opposition party chanting a song from the anti-apartheid struggle about "killing" white farmers.
Trump also repeated allegations that South Africa was expropriating land from the minority white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers who own more than three-quarters of commercial farmland.
A local man in Cape Town told Deutsche Welle: "I think [Ramaphosa] was treated very disrespectfully. While I may not agree with many of the things that are happening in our country there is no reason to treat our president like that."
Another woman added: "That was a very immature way to deal with the situation on Donald Trump's part. He should open himself up to hearing what Ramaphosa has to say about his own country."
South Africans angered by Trump's 'genocide' claims
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Ramaphosa's diplomatic approach praised
Ramaphosa, 72, rose to prominence during apartheid as a mining union leader. After helping bring white minority rule to an end, he became a successful businessman before returning to frontline politics and becoming president in 2018.
The manner in which he conducted himself during Trump's accusations drew the praise of his party, the African National Congress (ANC).
"His conduct was in keeping with the proud diplomatic tradition of President Nelson Mandela," the ANC said, invoking the legacy of the revered liberation struggle leader and the country's first Black president.
The current South African president's extensive network was evident in the Oval Office, where he was accompanied by luxury goods billionaire Johann Rupert, South Africa's richest man, and by champion golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
The three men and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, all of whom are white, were invited by South African leader to address Trump, who listened to them without interrupting — in contrast to how he treated Ramaphosa.
The South African delegation might have been braced for a hostile reception with Trump having cut aid to South Africa and threatened it with a 30% trade tariff under his "Liberation Day" regime.
Trump has also expelled the South African ambassador and offered refuge to Afrikaners based on claims of persecution Ramaphosa's government says are unfounded.
"There is criminality in our country. People who do get killed, unfortunately, through criminal activity are not only white people. Majority of them are Black people," said Ramaphosa.
'Admiration' for Ramaphosa delegation from South Africans
Ebrahim Rasool, who served as South Africa's ambassador to the United States until he was expelled earlier in 2025, told DW that Ramaphosa dealt with the televised meeting in Washington with "dignity."
"On the one hand, there is anger and disappointment [in South Africa] about the way President Donald Trump handled the meeting," he said. "There is also admiration for the dignity, unity and diversity of the South African delegation. When we couldn't get our words in, the body language, diversity and dignity of the South African delegation spoke volumes."
Throughout the meeting, Ramaphosa maintained a calm demeanor, complimenting Trump on his changes to the Oval Office decor and joking about having worked on his own golf so he could take on the US president, who loves the sport.
Even after Trump began his attacks and played a video that falsely purported to show thousands of graves of white farmers in South Africa, Ramaphosa tried to defuse tensions with humor.
Questioned on whether the South African President could have pushed back more vehemently against his counterpart's accusations, Rasool said he believed a more forceful response could have led to the backlash Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced in March.
"Pushing back harder could have risked a Zelenskyy moment in the White House," he added.
Instead, Ramaphosa attempted to point out the difficulty South Africa faces with crime across the board.
"There is criminality in our country. People who do get killed, unfortunately, through criminal activity are not only white people. The majority of them are Black people," the South African president said.
Additional reporting from Dianne Hawker.
How South Africans see land reform
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Edited by Sean Sinico