Article Summary
US President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over Trump’s baseless claim of widespread and targeted killing of white farmers in South Africa. Trump even dimmed the lights of the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician chanting a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer”. The meeting took place amidst deep differences between the two countries, with Trump previously cutting all US assistance to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies.
What This Means for You
- Be aware of Trump’s continued focus on the alleged persecution of white farmers in South Africa, despite lack of evidence.
- Understand the strained relationship between the US and South Africa, and potential implications for trade and diplomacy.
- Recognize the power dynamics at play in international relations, and how they can be influenced by misinformation and political posturing.
- Stay informed about ongoing human rights issues and the use of executive orders to enact policy changes in the US.
Original Post
Trump even dimmed the lights of the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician chanting a song that includes the lyrics “kill the farmer”.
He also leafed through news articles to underscore his point, saying the country’s white farmers have faced “death, death, death, horrible death”.
Trump had already cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees as he pressed the case that a “genocide” is under way in the country.
The US president has launched a series of accusations at South Africa’s Black-led government, claiming it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy.
Experts in South Africa say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety,” Trump said.
“Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they’re being killed.”
He twice said they were also fleeing to Australia, at one stage claiming both countries were being “inundated”.
Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump’s accusation in the Oval Office on Wednesday (early Thursday AEST). The South African leader had sought to use the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country’s relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa said.
He added, “that is not government policy” and “our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying”.
“When they take the land, they kill the white farmer,” he said.
Key Terms
- Trump’s baseless claim
- White farmers in South Africa
- International relations
- Affirmative action laws
- Human rights issues
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