Latest news with #whitepersecution
NHK
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Reuters: Trump showed image taken in DRC to claim white killings in South Africa
Reuters news agency says one of the images US President Donald Trump showed at the White House as evidence of white persecution in South Africa was actually taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trump's action came during an Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday. In the presence of media, Trump held up what he claimed were a series of articles that offer proof of mass killings of white minorities in South Africa. Reuters said on Thursday that one image Trump described as white farmers being buried was a screenshot of a video recorded by one of its journalists in the DRC. Reuters says the video, published in February, shows a mass burial following an assault by anti-government rebels in the DRC. It says an American conservative online media outlet had taken a screenshot of the video and posted it to its blog. Reuters quoted the journalist who shot the footage as saying that "seeing Trump holding the article with the screengrab of his video came as a shock." The journalist said, "In view of all the world, President Trump used my image, used what I filmed in DRC to try to convince President Ramaphosa that in his country, white people are being killed by Black people." The White House has not commented on the Reuters report.
SBS Australia
21-05-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Donald Trump ambushes South African president with false genocide claims
US President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House with allegations of mass killings and land seizures from white people, in a scene reminiscent of his February ambush of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. South Africa rejects the allegation that white people are disproportionately targeted by crime. Murder rates are high in the country, but the overwhelming majority of victims are Black. Ramaphosa arrived saying he wanted to discuss trade and critical minerals, and the meeting got off to a cordial start as he and Trump exchanged remarks about golf. Champion South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were present as part of Ramaphosa's delegation. But the televised Oval Office meeting soon took a different course, with Trump showing a video and printed articles purporting to show evidence to back up his unfounded claims that white South Africans are being persecuted. "People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they're being killed," said Trump in one of a series of accusations. South Africa, which endured centuries of draconian discrimination against Black people during colonialism and apartheid before becoming a multi-party democracy in 1994 under Nelson Mandela, rejects Trump's allegations. A new land reform law, aimed at redressing the injustices of apartheid, allows for expropriations without compensation when in the public interest, for example if land is lying fallow. No such expropriation has taken place, and any order can be challenged in court. The video shown by Trump showed white crosses which Trump said were the graves of thousands of white people, and opposition leaders making incendiary speeches. Trump suggested that one of them, Julius Malema, should be arrested. Ramaphosa mostly sat expressionless while the video was played, occasionally craning his neck to look at it. He said he had not seen it before, and that he would like to find out what the location was. Trump then displayed printed copies of articles that he said showed white South Africans who had been killed, saying "death, death" as he flipped through them. Ramaphosa said there was crime in South Africa, and the majority of victims were Black. Trump cut him off and said: "The farmers are not Black." Ramaphosa responded: "These are concerns we are willing to talk to you about." The South African leader remained composed throughout the scene. In recent months, Trump has criticised the land reform law and South Africa's genocide court case against Israel. He has cancelled aid, expelled South Africa's ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners based on racial discrimination claims Pretoria says are baseless. The United States is South Africa's second-biggest bilateral trading partner after China. But the country is facing a 30 per cent tariff under Trump's currently suspended "Liberation Day" regime, and Ramaphosa was keen to discuss a trade deal and business opportunities.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump ambushes South African president with videos of ‘white persecution'
21 May 2025 5:51pm 5:50PM Ramaphosa 'visibly uncomfortable' as Trump plays 'persecution' footage In an extraordinary moment, the US president ordered staffers to dim the lights and play a video showcasing 'white persecution' in South Africa, Connor Stringer writes. Visibly uncomfortable, President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to turn away to speak to Donald Trump, who in turn pointed at him to continue watching. Soon after, Mr Trump flicked through a series of news articles printed out on A4 paper showcasing apparent white persecution. 5:46PM Trump: 'Over a thousand' white farmers dead 'These are burial sites right here, over a thousand of white farmers and those cars are lined up to pay love on a Sunday morning,' Donald Trump says, narrating over the footage. 'Those cars aren't driving. They're stopped there to pay respects to their family member who was killed, and it's a terrible sight. I've never seen anything like it.' He says he does not know what he wants Cyril Ramaphosa to do about the video he has just played for the South African president. 'White South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws... I don't know,' he says. 5:41PM Trump plays footage of 'white persecution' Donald Trump requests the lights to be dimmed in the Oval Office to show Cyril Ramaphosa videos about persecution of white South Africans. 'We have thousands of stories talking about it, we have documentaries, we have news stories... it has to be responded to,' he tells the South African president. The two men are now sitting in silence as they watch the footage. 5:35PM Musk makes an appearance Elon Musk, who is originally from South Africa, is sitting in on the meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Ramaphosa. He is standing behind one of the Oval Office couches, which vice president JD Vance and security secretary Pete Hegseth are perched on. Mr Musk yesterday said he would begin to contribute less financially to political causes, as part of a slow retreat from the White House in order to concentrate on his businesses. Mr Vance previously said Mr Musk would remain as a friend an an advisor to both he and the president. 5:31PM Trump: White farmers are being persecuted Donald Trump is asked why it is appropriate for the US to take white refugees from South Africa, a point of tension between the two countries. 'This is a group MSNBC that is truly fake news... they ask a lot of questions in a truly pointed way,' he says, hitting out at the questioner. 'We've had tremendous complaints about Africa and other countries too. They say there's a lot of bad things going on in Africa, and that's what we're going to be discussing today,' he says. 'A lot of people are very concerned with regard to South Africa that's really the purpose of the meeting,' he continues adding that many people 'feel they are being persecuted'. Mr Trump says the people 'being persecuted are 'generally... white farmers and they're fleeing South Africa and it's a very sad thing to see'. He tells Cyril Ramaphosa: 'I hope we have an explanation of that, because I know you don't want that.' 5:26PM Ramaphosa: We've got critical minerals that you want Cyril Ramaphosa thanks Donald Trump for 'allowing your people to start discussions with us at a trade level' and says he wants to 'reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa'. He continues: 'We want to advance more trade between the two of us... we hope that we will be able to fuel that engagement during out talks.' Mr Ramaphosa says links between the two countries are 'really long-lasting and we would like to recalibrate those relations between our two countries and discuss the whole range of issues,' including Ukraine and the Middle East. 'We've got critical minerals that you want to fuel the growth of your own economy,' he adds. He tells Mr Trump he has started practising golf at his advice, telling the US president: 'I'm ready.' 5:22PM Trump: Ramaphosa is 'a little controversial' Donald Trump pays tribute to Cyril Ramaphosa as a 'truly respected man in many many circles... in some circles he's considered a little controversial'. He says they will be 'discussing some of things that are taking place in South Africa,' and adds he has 'a lot of friends' that live in South Africa. 5:06PM Ramaphosa arrives at White House Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African president, has arrived at the White House for a lunch and bilateral meeting with Donald Trump. Mr Ramaphosa shook Mr Trump's hand at the entrance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, before walking inside with the US president. The meeting comes after Mr Trump accused Pretoria of carrying out a 'genocide' against white Afrikaner farmers, allegations South Africa has vehemently denied. 5:00PM Mineral wealth could be key talking point South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum group metals, manganese and chrome, all of which are used by US industry. A quarter of all US imports of nine critical minerals, including manganese and platinum, come from South Africa. Donald Trump has already cut a deal to access Ukraine's mineral wealth and is in the process of negotiating one with Democratic Republic of Congo. He may see an opportunity with South Africa. However, Gwede Mantashe, mining and petroleum minister, has said the delegation would not make any mineral deal without first consulting ministers and industry.
