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Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen's Trump Visit Sparks Backlash-'Quite Troubling'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to his White House meeting with Donald Trump but there has been some backlash to what they said there. Trump had asked Ramaphosa to bring along the sportsmen for the Oval Office meeting on Wednesday and while many South Africans praised Els and Goosen for voicing their concerns about violence in the country, others spoke out against them. Newsweek has contact Els and Goosen, via email, for comment. The hope was that Els and Goosen—two Afrikaaner golfers who have eight major championship wins between them—would help to woo Trump, a keen golfer who owns two golf courses. "If there was Afrikaaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here," Ramaphosa said referring to Els, Goosen and South African billionaire Johann Rupert. The genocide comment referred to claims about attacks on white farmers in South Africa. However, some South Africans feel the golfers "didn't do much good," posting their criticism on social media. Els said he was a proud South African and acknowledged Ramaphosa's role in the anti-apartheid struggle, before going on to say: "I know there's a lot of anger through the transition—there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right." He went on to say later: "I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally—the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen detailed his life in the farmland area of Polokwane and said that while his family "live a great life despite everything going on," they have been attacked. "They're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer," he added. Matšhela Koko, a former executive at Eskom, South Africa's state-owned electricity utility, wrote on X: "Ernie Els expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for the United States' support of South Africa during the conflict in Angola. This situation is quite troubling. These people still miss Apartheid South Africa." South Africa's apartheid regime got involved in the Angolan Civil War—a Cold War proxy conflict that erupted after Angola gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975—to fight the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a Marxist party. While America did not deploy its own forces alongside apartheid South Africa, it did provide support that bolstered the country's intervention. Several other South Africans referenced Els' nod to this relationship in their critiques, including writer Sizwe Sikamusi, who said: "Ernie Els made this clear when [he] thanked Donald Trump for the United States 'helping' the Apartheid regime in Angola. By doing this, Els revealed the persistence of a parallel Afrikaner consciousness that remembers Apartheid not with shame, but with pride and nostalgia." "For Els to thank the US for Angola is to openly align with the Apartheid regime's logic and to see that period not as a shameful episode of regional imperialism, but as a proud moment of Western solidarity and military action," Sikamusi added. He also said: "While Black South Africans are often urged to 'move on,' 'focus on the future,' or 'stop living in the past,' White South Africans, particularly within the Afrikaner establishment, continue to carry, revere, and even celebrate their past." Entrepreneur Lynette Engelbrecht wrote: "The golfers were there by Trump's request so of course they didn't do us much good." Writer and media figure Mvelase Peppetta said: "Ernie Els waxing about the good old days of the Border Wars in the Oval Office is why I never 100% trust a white person." "There are so many nice things he could've said about U.S./SA relations & he chooses to go back to when the U.S.A was supporting the apartheid regime," said the activist, who is followed on X by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the party featured in most of the four-minute video Trump played during the meeting showing its leader, Julius Malema chanting "kill the Boer." Newsweek has broken down the history and legal context of the controversial phrase, which has recently been deliberated on in a South African court. In 2022 the Equality Court of South Africa ruled that the chant does not constitute hate speech. Malema argued that the chant was not literal, rather that it was "directed at the system of oppression." EFF fan Rushé Cawa took aim at Goosen, writing on X: "I never want to see Retief Goosen in this country again." The EFF and Malema have repeatedly criticized the South African delegation that visited Washington, saying South Africa had been "embarrassed" and calling the meeting an "interaction dominated by white privileged men, who have amassed wealth at the expense of African people." Sihle Lonzi, the head of the EFF's Students' Command, posted a photo of Els, Goosen and Rupert, saying: "Cyril Ramaphosa has surrendered South Africa's Foreign Policy to these three Golfers! Johann Rupert, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen." Although Rupert is not a golfer he serves as chairman of the South African PGA Tour and chairman of the South African Golf Development Board. Not all South Africans agreed with the criticism of the golfers. Katia Beeden, a campaigner for "persecuted minority South Africans" and spokesperson for Amerikaners, a group that supports "disenfranchised South Africans seeking a new future in the United States" praised how the meeting went. "It was very intense, and I think it was very brave, and necessary, and it was the first time ever the ANC and Cyril Ramaposa have been called out for their crimes," she told Newsweek. "So, yeah, I am absolutely delighted that the rot and the corruption and the death has been called out and exposed for the world to see. And let's hope that it's going to bring out positive change," she added. Volkstaat, an account advocating for "independence and freedom for Afrikaaners," wrote on X: "This is pure gold. Ramaphosa brought two white Pro golfers (Retief Goosen and one other) to show there's no systemic genocide of whites. This backfired when Retief told everyone his dad's farmer friends were murdered." Gilbert Martin, the founder of the group We Are South Africans (the largest independent civil-society movement in South Africa), thanked Els, Goosen and the others present at the White House in a Facebook post praising the meeting. "Did anyone notice that during the media briefing between South Africa and the United States, not just one but our entire government, including the official ruling party, opposition, ministers, organized labour, sportspeople, and big business, were all present in the White House Media Room," he said. "They openly discussed our many pressing issues, with each of them speaking honestly about the concerns raised by the United States." Els said: "We proud South Africans. I still have my South African passport. We travel with these passport and I got my visa here. So we wanna see things get better in our home country, that's the bottom line. "It's been 35 years since the transition. President Ramaphosa was in the middle of the transition at the time, in 1990, and before that. So it's been 35 years of ANC government and I know there's a lot of anger through the transition – there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right. "You know, President Mandela, when he came out of prison for all that time, didn't come out with hatred, you know, and really unified our nation through sport. You know we won the Rugby World Cup in '95." He went on: "We won the African Nations Cup in soccer, you know we've won some majors as golfers and so forth. So what I'm trying to say is – this has been a long time coming. That's why we really wanted to meet you, meet the administration and see our way forward, because we still want see our country flourish. You know, we've got so many great things going on – businesses getting involved with government, farming, farmers are getting involved in local municipalities trying to rebuild some of the infrastructure that's been decaying for a long time. So there's a lot of co-existence going on and help from a lot of areas. But we need – I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally – the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen said: "I grew up in an area in South Africa that is a farmland area – Polekwane – and there is some issues up there, obviously. My dad was a property developer as well as part-time farmer and yeah, some of his buddy farmers got killed. The farm is still going, my brothers run it. But that's a constant battle with farms trying to get – they're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer. And, at the end of the way, you know, without farmers, there's no food on the plate. So we need the farmers. "You know, food and fresh water is the most important thing in life. Without those two things, you can't survive." Trump then asked: "Your family and your brothers—do they feel safe on the farm?" Goosen answered: "They live behind electric fences you know, tryna be at night safe. But it is constant, whenever you leave, that something could happen. Both of them have been attacked in their houses, my mom's been attacked... It is difficult but you know the guys live a great life despite everything going on." Related Articles Ex-Trump Adviser Fact-Checks 'White Genocide' Claim-'Just Not True'Hundreds of Gold Miners Trapped Underground RescuedThe 1600: Trump's Tax Bill Clears House in Razor-Thin VoteWhite House Lashes Out Over South Africa Video 'Unsubstantiated' Comments 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen's Trump Visit Sparks Backlash—'Quite Troubling'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to his White House meeting with Donald Trump but there has been some backlash to what they said there. Trump had asked Ramaphosa to bring along the sportsmen for the Oval Office meeting on Wednesday and while many South Africans praised Els and Goosen for voicing their concerns about violence in the country, others spoke out against them. Newsweek has contact Els and Goosen, via email, for comment. South African businessman Johann Rupert, left, and South African golfers Retief Goosen, center, and Ernie Els, right, look on as President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the... South African businessman Johann Rupert, left, and South African golfers Retief Goosen, center, and Ernie Els, right, look on as President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. More AP The Context The hope was that Els and Goosen—two Afrikaaner golfers who have eight major championship wins between them—would help to woo Trump, a keen golfer who owns two golf courses. "If there was Afrikaaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here," Ramaphosa said referring to Els, Goosen and South African billionaire Johann Rupert. The genocide comment referred to claims about attacks on white farmers in South Africa. However, some South Africans feel the golfers "didn't do much good," posting their criticism on social media. Els said he was a proud South African and acknowledged Ramaphosa's role in the anti-apartheid struggle, before going on to say: "I know there's a lot of anger through the transition—there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right." He went on to say later: "I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally—the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen detailed his life in the farmland area of Polokwane and said that while his family "live a great life despite everything going on," they have been attacked. "They're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer," he added. The Backlash Matšhela Koko, a former executive at Eskom, South Africa's state-owned electricity utility, wrote on X: "Ernie Els expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for the United States' support of South Africa during the conflict in Angola. This situation is quite troubling. These people still miss Apartheid South Africa." Ernie Els expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for the United States' support of South Africa during the conflict in Angola. During the battle of Cuito Cuanavale, apartheid South Africa was involved in a frontline war against the Cuban forces fighting alongside the FAPLA of… — Engineer Matšhela Koko, MBL (@koko_matshela) May 21, 2025 South Africa's apartheid regime got involved in the Angolan Civil War—a Cold War proxy conflict that erupted after Angola gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975—to fight the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a Marxist party. While America did not deploy its own forces alongside apartheid South Africa, it did provide support that bolstered the country's intervention. Several other South Africans referenced Els' nod to this relationship in their critiques, including writer Sizwe Sikamusi, who said: "Ernie Els made this clear when [he] thanked Donald Trump for the United States 'helping' the Apartheid regime in Angola. By doing this, Els revealed the persistence of a parallel Afrikaner consciousness that remembers Apartheid not with shame, but with pride and nostalgia." "For Els to thank the US for Angola is to openly align with the Apartheid regime's logic and to see that period not as a shameful episode of regional imperialism, but as a proud moment of Western solidarity and military action," Sikamusi added. While Black South Africans are often urged to 'move on,' 'focus on the future,' or 'stop living in the past,' White South Africans, particularly within the Afrikaner establishment, continue to carry, revere, and even celebrate their past. Ernie Els made this clear when thanked… — sizwe sikamusi (@SizweLo) May 22, 2025 He also said: "While Black South Africans are often urged to 'move on,' 'focus on the future,' or 'stop living in the past,' White South Africans, particularly within the Afrikaner establishment, continue to carry, revere, and even celebrate their past." Entrepreneur Lynette Engelbrecht wrote: "The golfers were there by Trump's request so of course they didn't do us much good." Writer and media figure Mvelase Peppetta said: "Ernie Els waxing about the good old days of the Border Wars in the Oval Office is why I never 100% trust a white person." "There are so many nice things he could've said about U.S./SA relations & he chooses to go back to when the U.S.A was supporting the apartheid regime," said the activist, who is followed on X by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the party featured in most of the four-minute video Trump played during the meeting showing its leader, Julius Malema chanting "kill the Boer." Newsweek has broken down the history and legal context of the controversial phrase, which has recently been deliberated on in a South African court. In 2022 the Equality Court of South Africa ruled that the chant does not constitute hate speech. Malema argued that the chant was not literal, rather that it was "directed at the system of oppression." EFF fan Rushé Cawa took aim at Goosen, writing on X: "I never want to see Retief Goosen in this country again." The EFF and Malema have repeatedly criticized the South African delegation that visited Washington, saying South Africa had been "embarrassed" and calling the meeting an "interaction dominated by white privileged men, who have amassed wealth at the expense of African people." Sihle Lonzi, the head of the EFF's Students' Command, posted a photo of Els, Goosen and Rupert, saying: "Cyril Ramaphosa has surrendered South Africa's Foreign Policy to these three Golfers! Johann Rupert, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen." Although Rupert is not a golfer he serves as chairman of the South African PGA Tour and chairman of the South African Golf Development Board. South African Support For Ernie Els and Retief Goosen Not all South Africans agreed with the criticism of the golfers. Katia Beeden, a campaigner for "persecuted minority South Africans" and spokesperson for Amerikaners, a group that supports "disenfranchised South Africans seeking a new future in the United States" praised how the meeting went. "It was very intense, and I think it was very brave, and necessary, and it was the first time ever the ANC and Cyril Ramaposa have been called out for their crimes," she told Newsweek. "So, yeah, I am absolutely delighted that the rot and the corruption and the death has been called out and exposed for the world to see. And let's hope that it's going to bring out positive change," she added. Volkstaat, an account advocating for "independence and freedom for Afrikaaners," wrote on X: "This is pure gold. Ramaphosa brought two white Pro golfers (Retief Goosen and one other) to show there's no systemic genocide of whites. This backfired when Retief told everyone his dad's farmer friends were murdered." This is pure gold. Ramaphosa brought two white Pro golfers (Retief Goosen and one other) to show there's no systemic genocide of whites. This backfired when Retief told everyone his dad's farmer friends were murdered. — Volkstaat (@Volkstaat10) May 22, 2025 Gilbert Martin, the founder of the group We Are South Africans (the largest independent civil-society movement in South Africa), thanked Els, Goosen and the others present at the White House in a Facebook post praising the meeting. "Did anyone notice that during the media briefing between South Africa and the United States, not just one but our entire government, including the official ruling party, opposition, ministers, organized labour, sportspeople, and big business, were all present in the White House Media Room," he said. "They openly discussed our many pressing issues, with each of them speaking honestly about the concerns raised by the United States." What Did Ernie Els and Retief Goosen Say In Full? Els said: "We proud South Africans. I still have my South African passport. We travel with these passport and I got my visa here. So we wanna see things get better in our home country, that's the bottom line. "It's been 35 years since the transition. President Ramaphosa was in the middle of the transition at the time, in 1990, and before that. So it's been 35 years of ANC government and I know there's a lot of anger through the transition – there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right. "You know, President Mandela, when he came out of prison for all that time, didn't come out with hatred, you know, and really unified our nation through sport. You know we won the Rugby World Cup in '95." He went on: "We won the African Nations Cup in soccer, you know we've won some majors as golfers and so forth. So what I'm trying to say is – this has been a long time coming. That's why we really wanted to meet you, meet the administration and see our way forward, because we still want see our country flourish. You know, we've got so many great things going on – businesses getting involved with government, farming, farmers are getting involved in local municipalities trying to rebuild some of the infrastructure that's been decaying for a long time. So there's a lot of co-existence going on and help from a lot of areas. But we need – I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally – the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen said: "I grew up in an area in South Africa that is a farmland area – Polekwane – and there is some issues up there, obviously. My dad was a property developer as well as part-time farmer and yeah, some of his buddy farmers got killed. The farm is still going, my brothers run it. But that's a constant battle with farms trying to get – they're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer. And, at the end of the way, you know, without farmers, there's no food on the plate. So we need the farmers. "You know, food and fresh water is the most important thing in life. Without those two things, you can't survive." Trump then asked: "Your family and your brothers—do they feel safe on the farm?" Goosen answered: "They live behind electric fences you know, tryna be at night safe. But it is constant, whenever you leave, that something could happen. Both of them have been attacked in their houses, my mom's been attacked... It is difficult but you know the guys live a great life despite everything going on."
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Editor's Note: Houston, we have a crisis: The ‘Afrikaaner genocide' myth and the real threat to SA's reputation
President Donald Trump has called for the arrest of South African opposition leader Julius Malema, accusing him of inciting violence against white farmers. Image: AFP 'Houston, we have a problem.' The iconic Apollo 13 line feels oddly fitting for South Africa's latest headache: the 'Afrikaaner genocide' narrative making waves in US-South Africa trade talks. This exaggerated claim, fueled by images of crosses symbolising farm murders, paints a distorted picture of crime in South Africa, ruffling feathers globally. It's a headache for the country's reputation overshadowing its 'Rainbow Nation' legacy. To navigate this storm, South Africa must confront the misinformation head-on while addressing the root causes - crime, unemployment, and governance failures - with decisive action. The 'Afrikaaner genocide' narrative gained traction during the recent White House meeting, where US President Donald Trump presented video clips of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema chanting 'Kill the Boer,' an apartheid-era struggle song. The South African delegation, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, dismissed the EFF as a minor political party, but the damage was done. The chant, paired with images of white crosses, reinforced a narrative of targeted violence against Afrikaners, sticking in the global imagination. At the Google Zeitgeist event in London last weekend, I faced questions from business leaders about this so-called 'genocide'. I was amused by how misinformation travels - yet frustrated by its persistence. This distortion, like a comedic skit flipping tragedy into exaggeration, stems from a real issue: South Africa's massive crime problem. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Crime in South Africa is severe but not genocidal. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu set the record straight at the latest crime stats release on Friday. From January to March 2025, South Africa saw 5 727 murders (62 daily), 10 688 rapes, and 4 571 kidnappings. These numbers are grim but cut across all communities - not a targeted 'genocide'. Mchunu debunked a viral image of crosses in KwaZulu-Natal, tied to a 2020 farm murder case where justice was served, with suspects convicted. "We have respect for the USA as a country, we have respect for the people in that country and for President Trump, but we have no respect for this genocide story – at all. It is totally unfounded and unsubstantiated." He further said, "We do not deny that the levels of crime in the country are high – we are very concerned. Crime cuts across all divides. We are currently intensifying the fight against crime and criminals. The crime states we are presenting today will show progress; we commend and encourage the SAPS (South African Police Service) to fight on and harder. We will win." Despite these clarifications, the narrative persists, amplified by global figures like Elon Musk, who has claimed on X that South Africa promotes 'white genocide' and that his Starlink service was denied a license due to his race. This misinformation travels fast and sticks, overshadowing South Africa's broader crime crisis, which is tied to a 31.7% unemployment rate (Q1 2025) and systemic inequality. The economic backdrop makes addressing crime even tougher. The recent Budget 3.0, finalised after two failed attempts, slashed R68 billion in spending over the medium term and downgraded 2025 GDP growth to 1.4% (from 1.9% in March). This fiscal squeeze, reflecting a 'bottom-of-the-barrel' economy, limits resources for policing and job creation. The budget process itself, marred by political wrangling, underscores South Africa's reputation as an 'extended talk shop' where rhetoric often trumps action. This perception of inaction feeds into the global narrative, making it harder to counter the 'genocide' label and attract investment. Worse, the trade talks exposed another complication: the proposed Starlink deal. Reports suggest the government may bypass Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws through 'equity equivalent' arrangements, allowing Starlink to invest in development projects instead of ceding equity. This move, while pragmatic, risks undermining BEE - a cornerstone of post-apartheid transformation designed to redress historical disparities. Bending rules for a high-profile figure like Musk could signal to investors that South Africa's legislative framework is flexible, eroding trust. For example, the MultiChoice-Canal+ deal adhered to BEE. If BEE is sidestepped, what message does this send? That the policy is negotiable? This opens a can of worms, threatening the consistency investors crave and potentially undermining the spirit of South Africa's post-apartheid vision. This governance inconsistency ties into a broader issue: accountability. The Zondo Commission, costing millions, exposed State Capture corruption, yet few prosecutions followed, fostering perceptions of impunity. To rebuild trust, I propose fast-tracking mandatory lifestyle audits for all government officials and political leaders - 37% of Gauteng's senior officials recently failed such audits. Suspending officials under investigation until cleared could further deter corruption. These steps, though, require political will, which has been lacking in a system where committees often produce 'hot air' instead of results. Ultimately, South Africa's 'Afrikaaner genocide' narrative is more than a diplomatic headache - it's a wake-up call. While the country's brightest need to put their heads together to whittle away at the crime conundrum, more needs to be done on every level for South Africa to reclaim its Proudly South African shine. Houston, we have a problem - but it's not unsolvable. South Africa's challenge is to reclaim its narrative through tangible action: robust crime reduction, economic revitalisation, and transparent governance. The 'Afrikaaner genocide' label, threatens to derail progress, but with strategic focus - clear policies, accountability, and global engagement - South Africa can realign its trajectory. A united, action-oriented approach can restore the nation's shine as a beacon of resilience, not a caricature of chaos. Visit: Philippa Larkin, is the executive edior of Business Report. Image: Supplied
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Gets in Fight With South African President on 'White Genocide'
Donald Trump argued with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Wednesday about whether there was a so-called 'white genocide' in the latter's own country. During a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump was asked by one reporter, 'What would it take for you to be convinced that there is no white genocide in South Africa?' Earlier this month, the U.S. president carved out an exception in his refugee ban to allow Afrikaners, white descendants of mainly Dutch colonizers in South Africa, to immigrate to the U.S., claiming that they were facing a 'genocide.' Ramaphosa quickly stepped in. 'Well, I can answer that for the president. It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans, some of whom are his good friends like those who are here,' he said. 'It will take President Trump listening to them. I'm not going to be repeating what I've been saying,' Ramaphosa continued. 'I would say that if there was Afrikaaner farmer genocide, I can bet you, these three gentlemen would not be here, including my Minister of Agriculture. He would not be with me. So, it'll take him, President Trump listening to their stories, their perspective.' 'We have thousands of stories talking about it, and we have documentaries, we have news stories,' Trump replied, before turning the lights down to play a long clip from an unspecified documentary, which included a clip of the leader of the South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party chanting, 'Kill the Boers.' As the video played, Ramaphosa looked increasingly uncomfortable. After a long moment, Trump began narrating, 'Now, this is very bad, these are burial sites, over a thousand, of white farmers.' 'It's a terrible site, I've never seen anything like it,' Trump continued. 'Have they told you where that is, Mr. President?' Ramaphosa asked. 'I'd like to know where that is, because this I've never seen.' 'It's in South Africa,' Trump shrugged. 'We need to find out,' Ramaphosa replied. Trump was also asked what he hoped Ramaphosa would do about the violence against Afrikaners. 'I don't know, I don't know,' Trump said holding print-outs of several articles. 'Look these are articles over the last few days. Death, of… people. Death, death, death, horrible death. Death. I don't know.' Trump continued to lament the deaths of white Afrikaners. 'If this were the other way around it would be the biggest story. Now, I will say, apartheid—terrible,' Trump said. 'That was the biggest story, that was reported all the time. This is sort of the opposite of apartheid.' Ramaphosa invited John Henry Steenhuisen, South Africa's minister of Agriculture who is white and from an opposition party, to address Trump's claims. Steenhuisen admitted that the country had a 'rural safety problem' that it was working to address. Steenhuisen also responded to the documentary clip Trump had shown. 'The two individuals in that video that you've seen are both leaders of opposition minority parties in South Africa,' he said. 'Now the reason that my party, the Democratic Alliance, which has been an opposition party for over 30 years, chose to join hands with Mr. Ramaphosa's party was precisely to keep those people out of power. We cannot have those people sitting in the union buildings, making those decisions,' said Steenhuisen. This story has been updated.
Al Jazeera
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
White victimhood to G20: What's behind Trump's attacks on South Africa?
United States President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order freezing aid to South Africa, citing a recent land expropriation law passed by the country that the American leader and his allies claim discriminates against white farmers. But the aid block is only the culmination of a series of pressure points between the US and South Africa that were building up even during the administration of former President Joe Biden, and have now exploded under Trump. We track the slide in bilateral ties between the two nations and explore what each of them risks losing if relations spiral further. What did Trump say while banning South Africa aid? On February 2, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, saying 'South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. 'The United States won't stand for it, we will act,' he wrote. 'Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of the situation has been completed!' The executive order that Trump subsequently signed on February 7 claimed that the expropriation law, passed in December, enables 'the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners' agricultural property without compensation'. 'This Act follows countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners,' the order said. The following day, he doubled down on those comments while addressing reporters. 'Terrible things are happening in South Africa,' he said, referring to the land law. In the executive order, the US also offered to resettle Afrikaaner South Africans, a suggestion that has been rejected by Afrikaaner groups, including those that have lobbied the US and Trump specifically against the South African government. Have Trump aides also attacked South Africa? From US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to South-African-born multibillionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk, the broadsides against South Africa have been unrelenting since the US president's first comments. A day after Trump's initial comments, when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the land law on X, Musk – the richest man in the world – responded: 'Why do you have openly racist laws?' On Wednesday, Rubio announced on X that he 'will NOT attend G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property.' South Africa, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20 bloc of 20 large economies, is hosting a meeting of the foreign ministers of the group on February 20-21. What's the truth about the land law? As Al Jazeera's Qaanitah Hunter explained in this piece, South Africa's government has insisted that there has been no forcible confiscation of land, and that any expropriation that happens will 'constitutionally mandated legal process'. Experts have criticised attempts to suggest that South Africa's law is in any way similar to Zimbabwe's forcible confiscation of land belonging to white farmers since the 2000s. The South African law bars the arbitrary takeover of land and provides for compensation in most cases. It also requires authorities to first try to reach a reasonable agreement with the landowner, only failing which might the land be expropriated. Land can only be expropriated for public purposes – such as to build schools, hospitals or highways – or for public interest, which includes land reform. More than three decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa's minority white community – which constitutes 7 percent of the population – controls more than 70 percent of the country's land. Yet white South African farmers have long been an obsession with Trump. In 2018, during his first term in office, Trump alleged that South Africa had witnessed 'large-scale killings' of white farmers. There is no evidence to back the claim, and South Africa at the time said Trump was misinformed. But while Trump's attacks on South Africa are in keeping with the narrative of white victimhood that the US president's political movement has long relied on, tensions between the nations didn't vanish in the four years that Biden was president. In fact, they rose. Has South Africa's position on Israel affected US ties? In early 2024, South Africa's then-foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, flew to the US on a crisis management trip. The US Congress was discussing a bill to punish South Africa for its staunch criticism of Israel's brutal war on Gaza, which has now killed more than 61,000 people, including many missing people who are now presumed dead. South Africa had in December 2023 taken Israel to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza. Since then, the ICJ has passed interim orders against Israel, while many countries have joined South Africa's case. The ICJ is yet to issue its final verdict, but some US members of Congress decided that South Africa needed to pay a price. The US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, introduced in the US House almost exactly a year ago on February 6, 2024, accused South Africa 'of siding with malign actors, including Hamas, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a proxy of the Iranian regime'. In Washington, Pandor tried to meet members of Congress and spoke to think tanks to articulate the apartheid-era roots of South Africa's opposition to Israel's policies against Palestine, and the genocidal war in Gaza. That bill is yet to pass, but Trump in his executive order and Rubio in his recent comments both also referred to South Africa's Israel policy as a reason for Washington's blowback. 'South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements,' the executive order said. But what are the 'aggressive actions' that South Africa has taken against the US? Rubio also accused South Africa of 'anti-Americanism'. What was he talking about? The 2024 bill in Congress offers a glimpse of the deeper strategic tension that's been shadowing ties for a while. Is South Africa picking Russia and China over the US? The 2024 bill accuses South Africa of pursuing 'closer ties with the People's Republic of China ('PRC') and the Russian Federation'. In May 2023, the US ambassador to South Africa accused the country of supplying weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine through a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town. An investigation by the South African government concluded in September 2023 that 'no evidence' was found for claims that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia. Ramaphosa said the allegation 'had a most damaging effect on our currency, our economy, and our standing in the world; in fact, it tarnished our image'. Earlier that year, in February 2023, South Africa, Russia and China held joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean. The US responded by saying it was 'concerned'. And Pretoria has been careful to balance relations between Russia and China, on the one hand, and the US and its allies, on the other. Despite the ICJ case, South Africa continues to maintain robust trade ties with Israel: For some periods over the last year, South Africa was the biggest supplier of coal to Israel, even as the Ramaphosa government faced domestic accusations of hypocrisy. Meanwhile, South Africa also convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin not to attend the BRICS summit it hosted last year. South Africa is a member of the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over the war in Ukraine. Members of the ICC are expected to arrest individuals with warrants against them. What's at risk if relations decline further? As this Al Jazeera explainer from 2024 pointed out, South Africa is the US's largest trading partner in Africa, with $9.3bn worth of US exports going to South Africa in 2022. About 600 US businesses operate in the country. South Africa is also a critical strategic partner for the US – a democratic bulwark in a region where many other post-liberation movements have turned towards authoritarianism. There's plenty at stake for South Africa, too. Though China is by far South Africa's largest trading partner, the US is the fourth-largest source of its imports – after China, Germany and India – and the second-biggest destination for its exports, after China, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). South Africa benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US law passed by Congress in 2000 that grants many sub-Saharan nations, including South Africa, duty-free access to US markets for 1,800 products. South African exports to the US in 2022 stood at almost $11bn, OEC data shows. The threat of South Africa losing that status under the AGOA now hovers over the relationship, as Trump takes on trade relationships that he believes are unfair to the US.
