Latest news with #USSouthAfricaRelations
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Body language reveals Trump's strategic approach to SA President
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had hoped that his first meeting with Donald Trump would be a chance to reset relations after months of attacks on his government by MAGA allies. The US President and Pretoria-born 'first buddy' Elon Musk have repeatedly accused Ramaphosa of being complicit in 'white genocide' in his country - an unfounded claim the South African delegation sought to debunk during the visit. Trump had previously cancelled aid to the country, expelled its ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, but officials had been hopeful that an invitation to Washington could mark a turning point. However what began as an unassuming greeting 'with the usual pleasantries' soon turned into a public takedown - with analysts drawing comparisons to Trump's explosive meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. As the meeting got underway, Ramaphosa's 'rictus smile' indicated that he expected some 'good-humoured diplomacy' and was unaware of the ambush that Trump had prepared, a body language expert has claimed. 'The White House was as rigged with traps as Kevin's house in Home Alone,' Judi James told MailOnline as she described how Trump has honed his skills when it comes to publicly dressing-down world leaders. 'Trump's body language showed he is a master craftsman now when it comes to keeping secrets,' she went on. 'There were none of the signals of anticipatory glee we see from Vance when he's about to throw killer questions out to world leaders like he did with Zelensky and Starmer.' By contrast, she said, 'Trump played what was almost the perfect poker face, discussing golf and performing a crinkled eye smile' during Ramaphosa's efforts to flatter him. She added that 'Trump's intro to the South African leader was perhaps the only clue to what was to come. 'When he described Ramaphosa as being 'considered controversial' in some circles he triggered an outbreak of wary-looking rituals of building unease or anxiety from Ramaphosa,' she said. At one point Trump asked aides to dim the lights in the Oval Office before playing a montage of clips which he purported to show evidence of 'white genocide' in South Africa. This was Trump's 'Goldfinger moment', James said, and left Ramaphosa 'squirming'. 'Ramaphosa looked from side to side and tried to talk but Trump pulled his attention to the screen, silencing him. 'As the videos ended Ramaphosa was in the pose of a man who is about to run off at the first chance. He performed an incongruent laugh and squirmed in his chair and hiked his pants in a truncated gesture. His verbal response was to ask Trump 'where it is because I've never seen it.' Trump declined to add details but growled that it was South Africa.' While body language experts have previously highlighted Trump's handshake as a device he uses to convey 'dominance', for example with France's Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, James said in this case his initial greeting to Ramaphosa 'was neutral in terms of superior power signals.' She said the two men 'adopted a mirrored, heads-tilted pose as they exchanged what looked like the usual pleasantries.' However throughout the meeting Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', James said. Disagreements between the pair on a range of subjects were also thinly-veiled, she added, with Trump seemingly playing to the press rather than paying attention to his South African counterpart at one point. 'While Trump spoke about 'Saving souls' Ramaphosa talked of peace and referenced learning from Mandella. 'Trump's head nodded in some form of mild agreement but his pursed lips gave a hint of grudging disagreement and at one point he placed his hand to the side of his mouth to mime an 'aside' to the press as Ramaphosa spoke.' Many have applauded Ramaphosa for maintaining his composure as Trump threw out barb after barb. South Africa's Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso applauded Ramaphosa for keeping his cool, rather than firing back at Trump. But while Ramaphosa tried to cast the meeting as a success, Nyhontso acknowledged that it had been 'uncomfortable to watch'. 'There is no genocide in South Africa... There is crime in South Africa like in other countries and this crime affects many people,' he told the BBC's Newshour programme. Analysts have also pointed out that he handled Trump's attacks in a similar way to how he deals with firebrand opposition politicians in South Africa 's parliament. Many have praised Ramaphosa's tactics after he brought South Africa's most senior white politician, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, along to the meeting. He referred some of Trump's questions about Afrikaans farmers to Steenhuisen, who in turn acknowledged South Africa had a 'real safety problem', adding that it required 'a lot of effort to get on top of it'. 'It is going to require more policing resources,' he said. Steenhuisen however dismissed the view that most white farmers were fleeing the country: 'Certainly, the majority of South Africa's commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work.' The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer.' 'Our government policy is completely against what [Malema] was saying, even in the parliament, and they're a small minority party, which is allowed to exist in terms of our constitution,' Ramaphosa said afterwards. 'But you do allow them to take land?' Trump then asked, to which Ramaphosa repeatedly insisted 'no'. Despite the obvious tensions, Ramaphosa said afterwards that the meeting had been 'a great success'. 'We've been able to achieve what we set out to achieve: to achieve re-engagement with the US, to put the issues of investment and trade on the table, and to ensure that we continue engaging through the various other formations,' Ramaphosa told reporters. Ramaphosa again pushed back against Trump's accusations and attempted to downplay his criticism, saying he believes 'there's doubt and disbelief in [Trump's] head' about the genocide claims.
Russia Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Trumps wonders ‘what the hell' Zelensky was doing in South Africa
US President Donald Trump voiced surprise at a visit by Vladimir Zelensky to South Africa during a meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday. According to Trump, he phoned Zelensky at the time of his April visit and asked 'what the hell' he was doing in South Africa. Ramaphosa explained that South Africa had shared some 'lessons' on peacebuilding with the Ukrainian leader. 'That's what Nelson Mandela taught us: if you want to achieve peace in the country, do it unconditionally, sit down and talk,' the South African president said. Zelensky's visit to Pretoria sparked widespread criticism from South African political commentators and activists due to his dismissive attitude toward a 2023 Ramaphosa-led peace initiative. The two presidents also discussed US concerns about alleged violence against white Afrikaners and the South African government's land reform policies. Trump reportedly sought clarification on what he described as a 'genocide' of the white minority. Ramaphosa dismissed the claims, reaffirming South Africa's democratic values and rejecting the idea that land was being unlawfully seized. 'No, no, no, no,' he responded when asked about land confiscation. 'Nobody can take land,' he added. The South African delegation also used the visit to present a revised trade and investment framework aimed at strengthening bilateral economic cooperation. Parks Tau, South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, confirmed that the proposal was delivered during talks with the US Trade Representative. Tau said trade was at the core of the new proposal. 'We also discussed customs duties and tariffs with the American side,' he noted. He pointed out that nearly 77% of US goods imported into South Africa enter duty-free, while a similar portion of South African exports, primarily commodities, also benefit from tax exemptions. Tau added that South Africa highlighted its growing gas shortages and signaled interest in importing US liquefied natural gas (LNG), which was positively received by both the US ambassador and White House representatives. 'It's one of the areas that we will be following up on,' he said. As he departed the White House, President Ramaphosa told reporters that the talks had gone 'very well.'
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The body language that proves Trump is the master of political ambushes: Expert breaks down South African president's humiliation in Oval Office 'rigged with more traps than Kevin's house in Home Alone'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had hoped that his first meeting with Donald Trump would be a chance to reset relations after months of attacks on his government by MAGA allies. The US President and Pretoria-born 'first buddy' Elon Musk have repeatedly accused Ramaphosa of being complicit in 'white genocide' in his country - an unfounded claim the South African delegation sought to debunk during the visit. Trump had previously cancelled aid to the country, expelled its ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, but officials had been hopeful that an invitation to Washington could mark a turning point. However what began as an unassuming greeting 'with the usual pleasantries' soon turned into a public takedown - with analysts drawing comparisons to Trump's explosive meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. As the meeting got underway, Ramaphosa's 'rictus smile' indicated that he expected some 'good-humoured diplomacy' and was unaware of the ambush that Trump had prepared, a body language expert has claimed. 'The White House was as rigged with traps as Kevin's house in Home Alone,' Judi James told MailOnline as she described how Trump has honed his skills when it comes to publicly dressing-down world leaders. 'Trump's body language showed he is a master craftsman now when it comes to keeping secrets,' she went on. 'There were none of the signals of anticipatory glee we see from Vance when he's about to throw killer questions out to world leaders like he did with Zelensky and Starmer.' Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', body language expert Judi James said By contrast, she said, 'Trump played what was almost the perfect poker face, discussing golf and performing a crinkled eye smile' during Ramaphosa's efforts to flatter him. 'Trump's intro to the South African leader was perhaps the only clue to what was to come,' she said. 'When he described Ramaphosa as being 'considered controversial' in some circles he triggered an outbreak of wary-looking rituals of building unease or anxiety from Ramaphosa. At one point Trump asked aides to dim the lights in the Oval Office before playing a montage of clips which he purported to show evidence of 'white genocide' in South Africa. This was Trump's 'Goldfinger moment', James said, and left Ramaphosa 'squirming'. 'Ramaphosa looked from side to side and tried to talk but Trump pulled his attention to the screen, silencing him as he tried to talk. 'As the videos ended Ramaphosa was in the pose of a man who is about to run off at the first chance. He performed an incongruent laugh and squirmed in his chair and hiked his pants in a truncated gesture. The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer' 'His verbal response was to ask Trump 'where it is because I've never seen it.' Trump declined to add details but growled that it was South Africa.' While body language experts have previously highlighted Trump's handshake as a device he uses to convey 'dominance', for example with France's Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, James said in this case his greeting 'was neutral in terms of superior power signals.' She said the two men 'adopted a mirrored, heads-tilted pose as they exchanged what looked like the usual pleasantries.' However throughout the meeting Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', James said. She described Trump calling for the blinds to be closed and the screen to be activated to show the Afrikaners clips as a Many have applauded Ramaphosa for maintaining his composure as Trump threw out barb after barb. South Africa's Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso applauded Ramaphosa for keeping his cool, rather than firing back at Trump. But while Ramaphosa tried to cast the meeting as a success, Nyhontso acknowledged that it had been 'uncomfortable to watch'. 'There is no genocide in South Africa... There is crime in South Africa like in other countries and this crime affects many people,' he told the BBC's Newshour programme. Analysts have also pointed out that he handled Trump's attacks in a similar way to how he deals with firebrand opposition politicians in South Africa 's parliament. Many have praised Ramaphosa's tactics after he brought South Africa's most senior white politician, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, along to the meeting. He referred some of Trump's questions about Afrikaans farmers to Steenhuisen, who in turn acknowledged South Africa had a 'real safety problem', adding that it required 'a lot of effort to get on top of it'. 'It is going to require more policing resources,' he said. Steenhuisen however dismissed the view that most white farmers were fleeing the country: 'Certainly, the majority of South Africa's commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work.' The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer.' 'Our government policy is completely against what [Malema] was saying, even in the parliament, and they're a small minority party, which is allowed to exist in terms of our constitution,' Ramaphosa said afterwards. 'But you do allow them to take land?' Trump then asked, to which Ramaphosa repeatedly insisted 'no'.
NHK
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Trump criticizes South Africa's president over alleged persecution of whites
US President Donald Trump has publicly criticized South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, alleging that the white minority is being persecuted in his country. The United States announced a freeze on aid to South Africa after its government introduced a new policy on land expropriation. The Trump administration claims the policy threatens the rights of the white minority and is discriminatory. Trump met Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday. The summit began in a congenial atmosphere, with Ramaphosa expressing hope of mending bilateral relations by promoting trade and investment. But the mood changed when Trump played a video of what he described as people urging others to attack whites. Trump also showed papers that he said were articles that proved whites are being persecuted and even killed. Ramaphosa admitted there are criminal activities in South Africa, but said the majority of those killed are Black. He denied that white people are being racially persecuted. The focus of the summit had been whether the US could improve ties with South Africa, which chairs the G20 this year. But Trump's remarks have only underscored their differences.
BreakingNews.ie
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump hosts Ramaphosa as South African leader looks to salvage relationship
President Donald Trump is hosting South African president Cyril Ramaphosa for White House talks at a moment when relations between the two countries are strained. Mr Trump has been attacking South African officials on widely rejected charges of allowing a 'genocide' against minority white farmers. Advertisement South African officials have strongly pushed back against Mr Trump's accusation and Mr Ramaphosa sought the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994. Mr Ramaphosa was greeted by Mr Trump as he arrived at the White House shortly after noon for a lunch and Oval Office talks. President Donald Trump greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) Mr Trump has cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees. Advertisement He has launched a series of accusations at South Africa's black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy. Mr Trump issued an executive order in February cutting all funding to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies. The order criticised the South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting 'bad actors' in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran. In advance of the meeting, a White House official said Mr Trump's topics of discussion with Mr Ramaphosa were likely to include the need to condemn politicians who 'promote genocidal rhetoric' and to classify farm attacks as a priority crime. Advertisement The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said Mr Trump also was likely to raise South African race-based barriers to trade and the need to 'stop scaring off investors'. Mr Trump falsely accused the South African government of a rights violation against white Afrikaner farmers by seizing their land through a new expropriation law. No land has been seized and the South African government has pushed back, saying US criticism is driven by misinformation. The Trump administration's references to the Afrikaner people — who are descendants of Dutch and other European settlers — have also elevated previous claims made by Mr Trump's South African-born adviser Elon Musk and some conservative US commentators that the South African government is allowing attacks on white farmers in what amounts to a genocide. Advertisement That has been disputed by experts in South Africa, who say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate. Elon Musk (Evan Vucci/AP) Secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Mr Trump remains ready to 'reset' relations with South Africa, but noted that the administration's concerns about South African policies cut even deeper then the concerns about white farmers. South Africa has also angered the Trump White House over its move to bring charges at the International Court of Justice accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Mr Ramaphosa has also faced scrutiny in Washington for his past connections to MTN Group, Iran's second-largest telecom provider. It owns nearly half of Irancell, a joint venture linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mr Ramaphosa served as board chair of MTN from 2002 to 2013. Advertisement 'When one country is consistently unaligned with the United States on issue after issue after issue after issue, now you become – you have to make conclusions about it,' Mr Rubio told Senate Foreign Relation Committee members at a Tuesday hearing. With the deep differences, Mr Ramaphosa appeared to be taking steps to avoid the sort of contentious engagement that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky experienced during his late February Oval Office visit, when the Ukrainian leader found himself being berated by Mr Trump and vice president JD Vance. Mr Musk is also expected to attend Wednesday's talks. Mr Musk has been at the forefront of the criticism of his homeland, casting its affirmative action laws as racist against whites. Mr Musk has said on social media that his Starlink satellite internet service is not able to get a licence to operate in South Africa because he is not black. South African authorities say Starlink has not formally applied. It can, but it would be bound by affirmative action laws in the communications sector that require foreign companies to allow 30% of their South African subsidiaries to be owned by shareholders who are black or from other racial groups disadvantaged under apartheid. The South African government says its long-standing affirmative action laws are a cornerstone of its efforts to right the injustices of the white minority rule of apartheid, which denied opportunities to blacks and other racial groups.
