US President Donald Trump stunned President Cyril Ramaphosa by playing a video of EFF leader Julius Malema singing the controversial "Kill the Boer" chant during a high-level meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump claimed the video was evidence of genocide against
white people in South Africa, alleging that it was driving thousands of white
farmers to the United States.
The meeting, aimed at revitalising strained relations
between the two countries and securing a mutually beneficial trade deal.
Trump said the chant showed black South Africans advocating
for genocide.
"They're white farmers, and they're fleeing South
Africa. It's a very sad thing to see,” Trump said. “But I hope we can have an
explanation of that, because I know you don't want that.”
Ramaphosa repeatedly tried to interject, at one point
appealing for a calm discussion: "We were taught by Nelson Mandela that
whenever there are problems, people need to sit around a table and talk about
them. And this is precisely what we would also like to talk about.”
The Equality Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal have
both found that, when understood in its historical and political context, the
chant does not incite violence against white South Africans or Afrikaners.
Ramaphosa attempted to clarify South Africa’s stance,
saying the views expressed in the video do not reflect government policy.
"Let me clarify, what you saw in those speeches does
not reflect government policy. South Africa is a multi-party democracy that
allows individuals and political parties to express themselves, even when their
policies differ from those of the government,” he said.
"Our government’s position is completely opposed to
what was said, even in Parliament. That party represents a small minority and
is allowed to exist under our Constitution.”
[πΈ] President Cyril Ramaphosa holds a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C. #SAinUSA πΏπ¦πΊπΈ#BetterAfricaBetterWorld π #GovZAUpdates pic.twitter.com/f0S21ccfiA
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) May 21, 2025
"In an act of cowardice, Cyril Ramaphosa blatantly
denounced the rulings of the courts of the country he is President of. This
meeting confirmed the pact between the ANC and the DA to keep the EFF out of
power. It exposed the consolidation of a 2024 alliance between white minority
capital and the neoliberal, counter-revolutionary ANC.”
Done by: Mitchum George
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