When visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa within the White House Donald Trump publicly introduced as much as his counterpart. At a gathering within the Oval Office Trump handed his visitor with unaffected allegations that South Africa dedicated a “genocide” to white farmers.
Surprisingly, he even confirmed video recordings to underpin his genocide. Ramaphosa repeatedly tried to chill out the state of affairs and to encompass Trump. At least partially, the allure offensive had an impact: the US President stored open, presumably in November on the G20 summit in South Africa to take part.
Trump allegations in opposition to South Africa
The relationships between the 2 international locations have been just lately very tense – primarily due to Trumps «genocide»-Allegations in opposition to South Africa. The US President complains of discrimination in opposition to white minorities in South Africa, specifically the so-called African, who’re descendants of Dutch settlers. They led the racist apartheid regime in South Africa till the early Nineties, which systematically discriminated in opposition to the black majority of the inhabitants.
Trump is especially bothered by a brand new legislation that permits land growth within the public curiosity to compensate for inequalities from the time of apartheid. The majority of the agricultural areas in South Africa are nonetheless owned by members of the little white minority.
Experts contradict Trump’s illustration of an alleged genocide. In doing so, he takes up a conspiracy concept unfold in proper -wing extremist circles from the so -called “white genocide”. South Africa additionally decidedly rejects the accusation.
Escalation and tried de -escalation
At the start of February, Trump had frozen help for South Africa, and in March the United States additionally issued the nation’s ambassador. The United States just lately took up a primary group of white South Africans and granted them refugee standing – though Trump’s authorities has largely stopped taking refugees from warfare and disaster areas.
The South African authorities had decisively rejected the allegations of the Americans earlier than Ramaphosa’s go to and sharply criticized the transfer. Ramaphosa lastly traveled to Washington – with the intention of decreasing the tensions between the 2 international locations.
He got here to attain a restart in relation to the United States, stated Ramaphosa on the assembly with Trump. “We want to reorganize the relationships between our two countries.”
Trump’s provocation
After an extended alternate in entrance of working cameras, Trump all of a sudden had the sunshine within the Oval Office Dimmen and video recordings performed on a big tv. The footage confirmed graves on the sting of a avenue, stated the Republican. «It’s a horrible sight. I’ve by no means seen something like this. »
Ramaphosa replied: «Did you let you know the place that’s, Mr. President? I want to know the place that’s, as a result of I’ve by no means seen that earlier than. » The South African President promised that he would pursue this. Trump additionally stored out printed articles about alleged violence on white farmers, went by the edges individually and commented on: “Death, death, death.” In the tip, he handed over the stack of papers to his counterpart.
Charm offensive of the visitor from South Africa
Ramaphosa tried repeatedly to chill out the state of affairs and emphasised that if there have been issues, one needed to discuss companions. He was prepared to speak about every part – with out the presence of reporters. The South African President additionally tried to flatter Trump a number of occasions, make him snigger with jokes and milder with political provides – corresponding to entry to South African uncooked supplies.
At the beginning, for instance, the visitor introduced that he had introduced a “fantastic” e book as a present that offered the golf programs in South Africa. Trump is a passionate golfer. “I would like to introduce our golf courses,” Ramaphosa campaigned for Trump’s favor and stated that he himself has additionally began {golfing}. “So I’m ready.”
South African President invited Trump to a state go to to his nation and provided new commerce transactions. South Africa provided uncooked supplies that the United States would want, together with uncommon earths.
Trump: I’d take a aircraft
Elsewhere, Ramaphosa tried with humor. When Trump was requested in regards to the controversial settlement, in keeping with which the United States accepts a gifted jumbojet from Katar, which is to be retrofitted as a presidential machine for Trump, the South African interfered: “I’m sorry that I don’t have a plane for you.” Trump returned: “If her country of the United States airwaffe were offered an airplane, I would accept it.”
However, Trump repeatedly returned to his “genocide” allegations and spoke of a “very sad thing”. The 78-year-old warned: “That has to be solved.” If that occurs, then the prospects for the connection with South Africa are “fantastic”.
Maybe a participation within the G20 summit in any case?
When requested whether or not he would journey to South Africa within the face of the tensions in November, Trump lastly reacted a bit extra benevolent and at the least stored open. It is essential that the United States was there on the G7 group of the Gast industrialized international locations in addition to on the G20 summit, stated Trump. However, he didn’t ship a transparent promise. The summit of the main industrialized and rising international locations (G20) will happen within the South African financial metropolis of Johannesburg in November.
Trump had indicated in April that he may boycott the summit in November. In the previous few weeks, Trump’s Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Finance Minister Scott Bessent had already canceled preparatory conferences with their G20 colleagues in South Africa.
And shortly earlier than Trump’s assembly with Ramaphosa, Rubio stated at a listening to within the US Senate that the US authorities determined not to participate on this 12 months’s G20 summit in South Africa-“neither at the Foreign Minister nor at the level of the President”. The background is a few matters on the agenda of the assembly that didn’t replicate the priorities of the Trump authorities. This now appears at the least a matter of negotiation.
© DPA-Infocom, DPA: 250521-930-574631/2
https://www.zeit.de/news/2025-05/21/genozid-vorwurf-trump-fuehrt-suedafrikas-praesidenten-vor