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Confronting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump claimed that white South Africans – particularly Afrikaner farmers – are being systematically murdered
US President Donald Trump hands papers to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21. (Image: Jim WATSON/AFP)
In a brand new controversy for US President Donald Trump, he has claimed “white genocide” in South Africa during a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House.
Confronting Ramaphosa during the meeting, Trump made the unsubstantiated claims using an old video. He made several false statements and misrepresented some facts in alignment with his views that white South Africans – particularly Afrikaner farmers – are being systematically murdered.
The Trump administration has recently allowed Afrikaner farmers quick access to refugee status and US citizenship, despite limited evidence supporting claims of targeted violence.
Initially stunned by the claims, Ramaphosa – a former anti-apartheid activist and freedom fighter – responded to the claims diplomatically while countering the assertions. But, he was repeatedly interrupted by Trump, who showed him a four-minute video consisting mostly of years-old clips of inflammatory speeches by some South African politicians that have been circulating on social media.
“You do allow them to take land, and then when they take the land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them,” he said.
He further showed the South African President news clippings that he said backed up his claims – although one actually featured a photo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Death, death, death. Horrible death,” he added.
WHAT DID TRUMP CLAIM, AND WHAT DID HE SHOW RAMAPHOSA?
According to a report published in The Hill, Trump played a nearly four-minute video – shared by Afrikaner advocacy groups – that included inflammatory clips of Julius Malema.
Malema is the leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, whom Trump cited as a major threat while suggesting Ramaphosa should have him arrested for inciting violence. He, however, was expelled from the African National Congress years ago.
Trump has claimed that white farmers are having their land seized and are being killed. He referred to a memorial of white crosses in South Africa – known as the Witkruis Monument – as a mass burial site for murdered white farmers, though the site is symbolic and commemorates victims of farm attacks regardless of race.
“It’s more than just a little movement – it’s a pretty big movement in South Africa,” Trump was quoted by The Hill. “Their land is being confiscated and, in many cases, they’re being killed.”
Here are the claims made by US President Donald Trump:
Alleged Persecution of White Farmers in South Africa: A conspiracy theory, it has been propagated by some fringe groups of white South Africans since the end of apartheid in 1994. It is also supported by Trump’s vocal ally, South African-born Elon Musk while other supporters point to white farmer murders in remote rural parts of the country as proof of a politically orchestrated campaign of ethnic cleansing, rather than ordinary violent crime.
They have accused the government of being complicit either by encouraging them or at least turning a blind eye. The government has strongly denied this.
According to Reuters, South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with an average of 72 a day, in a country of 60 million people. Most victims are Black. Police recorded 26,232 murders nationwide in 2024, of which 44 were linked to farming communities. Of those, eight of the victims were farmers.
Loss of Land: Trump has also claimed that the South African government is expropriating land from white farmers without compensation, including through violent land seizures, in order to distribute it to Black South Africans. Reuters said some three-quarters of privately-owned farmland is still in the hands of whites, who make up less than 8 per cent of the population, while 4 per cent is owned by Black South Africans who make up 80 per cent.
Video Clip Of White Crosses: Trump played a video clip that showed a long line of white crosses on the side of a highway, which he said were “burial sites” for white farmers. The video, Reuters reported, was made in September 2020 during a protest against farm murders after two people were killed on their farm a week earlier. The crosses did not mark actual graves.
Dubious News Clipping: Reuters said Trump held up a printed sheet of paper with a picture of people lifting body bags and said: “These are all white farmers that are being buried”. The image, however, showed humanitarian workers burying bodies in the city of Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo. It was a screengrab taken from Reuters video footage in early February following deadly battles against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who had captured the city.
(With agency inputs)
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
- First Published:
