WASHINGTON – The meeting between Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa followed a now-familiar script – with the guest praising the US president and promising new and fruitful economic cooperation.
It went sideways from there.
After playing what was presented as a video documentary of hate speech and genocide directed against white South African farmers, Trump accused Ramaphosa’s government of confiscating land and turning a blind eye to the murder.
It was a remarkable scene – one that immediately drew parallels to the acrimonious meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
Unlike Zelensky, however, Ramaphosa did not lose his composure. He said he would address the American concerns. He denounced the “kill the Boer” chants of what he said were minority out-of-government parties.
He referenced Nelson Mandela. And he brought in Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen – who is white – to discuss how crime is a public safety problem that threatens both white and black South Africans.
Ramaphosa may not leave Washington with the trade deals that he had hoped for, but he also survived what could have been a much more serious blow to US-South Africa relations.
Trump’s ambush versus Ramaphosa’s charm
Farouk Chothia | BBC South Africa analyst |
As Trump ambushed him, Ramaphosa stayed calm – and tried to work his charm.
He invoked the name of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, saying South Africa remained committed to racial reconciliation. He blamed the killing of white farmers on criminality, and suggested that US technology could help combat it.
When a journalist asked what would happen if white farmers left South Africa, Ramaphosa deflected the question to his white agriculture minister – John Steenhuisen, who said that most farmers wanted to stay.
But Trump kept firing salvoes at Ramaphosa, who has so far avoided entering a shouting match with him – something that happened to Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky when he met Trump.
Trump doesn’t say whether he will attend G20 in South Africa
Trump was asked if he’s going to attend the G20 summit, which is being held in South Africa later this year before the US takes over as chair of the group for next year.
The president says that without the US, the G20 is “not very important”.
Ramaphosa says the US originated the G20 and it’s important that the US “continues to play a key role”.
He says South Africa is “overjoyed” to hand it over to the US, the originators.
“And for that reason I expect US to continue play leadership role in the G20,” Ramaphosa says.
Trade union leader brings up crime, including rape, against black South Africans
Just a few minutes ago, South African golfer Retief Goosen, who is part of Ramaphosa’s delegation, made brief comments.
He said it is a concern to make a living as a farmer in South Africa, including for his family members who live behind electric fences and have previously been attacked in their houses.
He ended by saying: but they do live a nice life.
Ramaphosa wants to keep hearing from his delegation and he invites Zingiswa Losi, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
She says thousands of jobs will be wiped out if US companies leave South Africa, calling on continued US investment.
On the issue of white farmers, she said violence is South Africa affected all races, not just white people, a refrain we have heard from others.
She brought up black women, including elderly women, who have been raped in South Africa.
Agriculture minister says South Africa is focused on fighting crime against farmers
Ramaphosa calls on South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to discuss Trump’s concerns about the situation of white farmers.
Steenhuisen, who is white and is also the leader of the Democratic Alliance party, a member of the government coalition, says the majority of farmers want to stay in South Africa rather than leave, as the group who have come the US have.
He says the country has priorities on protecting white farmers, including stopping the crime of livestock theft.
He reminds the US president that the people shown in the video just played in the Oval Office, such as Julius Malema, are not government officials.
We need support from allies so we can strengthen our economy and shut the door on people like Malema, he says.
Ramaphosa says South Africa is a democracy that allows free expression
Ramaphosa has stepped in to clarify his position on Trump’s accusations. He says South Africa has a democracy that allows people to express themselves.
There is criminality in our country, he says, and the people who get killed in South Africa are not only white people, but includes black people too.
He also says Malema’s speech and actions are not government policy.
As a reminder, Malema is the leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party. His party is not part of the governing coalition.
Ramaphosa condemns the speech used in the video shown in the Oval Office.
The exchange is interspersed with chatter about Qatar’s plane gift to Trump, after a reporter from NBC asked a question about it.
Trump appears to have been rattled by that question, calling the reporter “a jerk”.
