WASHINGTON, USA — A high-level diplomatic meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took an unexpectedly confrontational turn on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, after Trump presented a controversial video in the Oval Office alleging a “white genocide” in South Africa — a claim long refuted by international observers and Pretoria itself.
In a theatrical and tightly choreographed moment during the bilateral talks, Trump ordered the lights dimmed and played a nearly five-minute video on large screens.
The footage, titled “Proof of Persecution in South Africa,” was later posted on the White House’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The surprise move appeared to catch Ramaphosa and his delegation off guard.
Observers said the South African president looked visibly uncomfortable but maintained his composure as the video played.
At one point during the screening, Ramaphosa interjected: “Have they told you where that is?”
Trump, according to witnesses, shook his head.
Ramaphosa then firmly rebutted the narrative.
Gesturing to White members of his entourage — including Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, and golf legends Retief Goosen and Ernie Els — Ramaphosa stated, “If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture.”
He went on to clarify that violent crime in South Africa affects citizens across racial lines.
“People who do get killed, unfortunately through criminal activity, are not only White people; the majority of them are Black people,” he said.
The meeting, which was intended to reset strained diplomatic ties between the two countries, instead mirrored the tense atmosphere of Trump’s earlier encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the same venue.
That meeting had ended abruptly, with Zelenskyy being escorted out of the Oval Office following a heated exchange.
Trump and Ramaphosa also exchanged sharp words over South Africa’s controversial land reform policy, which seeks to address historical injustices by redistributing land from predominantly White owners to Black South Africans.
The policy has been a frequent point of friction between the two governments.
Ramaphosa defended the measure, calling it “a necessary corrective” to apartheid-era imbalances.
But Trump countered: “White South Africans were executed because of that law,” repeating a claim frequently made by right-wing commentators and South Africa-born tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The assertion has been consistently denied by South African authorities and disputed by independent fact-checkers.
The disagreement over land reform previously led to the suspension of certain U.S. aid packages to South Africa, compounding diplomatic tensions.
A senior South African official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the incident as “deeply unhelpful,” and said the country’s foreign ministry would issue a formal response in the coming days.
Trump administration officials have yet to comment further on the rationale behind the Oval Office presentation.
However, the move has drawn widespread criticism from diplomats and analysts who say it undermines serious dialogue between the two nations.
The meeting concluded without a joint press conference or official communique, typically customary following state-level engagements.
Ramaphosa and his delegation departed the White House shortly after the private session concluded.
The South African president had long sought the meeting to reaffirm trade ties, enhance security cooperation, and clarify Pretoria’s position on its domestic reforms.
