South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House, during a time of strained relations between the two countries.
The visit follows Ramaphosa’s recent remarks calling a group of 59 white South Africans who relocated to the US “cowards.” The comment has stirred political controversy, especially as Trump alongside South Africa-born entrepreneur Elon Musk has repeated widely discredited claims that white farmers are facing genocide in South Africa.
Trade will also be high on the agenda, particularly as South Africa faces 30% tariffs from the US. Ramaphosa is expected to challenge these measures and seek stronger economic ties.
South Africa analyst Farouk Chothia notes that Trump’s second term has marked a low point in US-South Africa relations since the end of apartheid in 1994. Trump’s accusations of race-based land seizures and persecution have drawn backlash both domestically and abroad.
John Steenhuisen, South Africa’s agriculture minister and leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), said Ramaphosa must take this opportunity to debunk the “myths” surrounding the alleged genocide. Steenhuisen, who is part of the visiting delegation, emphasized there is “not a single farm being expropriated without compensation.”
While he did not specify who may have influenced Trump’s view, Steenhuisen hinted at right-wing groups that have lobbied the US administration with misleading narratives.
In a related exchange, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with Democrat Senator Tim Kaine during a Senate hearing over the status of white South African refugees, underlining the political sensitivity surrounding the issue in Washington.
Ramaphosa is under pressure to correct the record and shift the conversation toward fact-based diplomacy and constructive engagement.
