It’s not SA’s job to change Trump’s view on ‘White Genocide’: Analyst

Political analyst Professor Siphamandla Zondi says it’s not South Africa’s responsibility to convince US President Donald Trump that there’s no white genocide in South Africa.

His remarks come after a dramatic meeting between Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday, in an effort to ease tensions between the two nations.

The two heads of state met to address a range of contentious issues, including the Expropriation Act, the upcoming G20 summit and the claims of a ‘white’ genocide in the country.

Ramaphosa however and his delegation which included businessman Johann Rupert, Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola and Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi amongst others, used the opportunity to refute claims of a so-called white genocide in South Africa an allegation Trump continues to assert.

Speaking to Ynews, Zondi says Trump failed to rattle the South African delegation crediting their composure to thorough preparation.

Zondi says mending relations won’t happen overnight, but he is hopeful that things could change.

Trump insisted during the meeting that bad things are happening in South Africa and played a montage of Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) Julius Malema’s videos chanting ‘Kill the Boer’ in a bid to bolster his claim of a white genocide in South Africa.

He also whipped out printed articles, that he claimed was evidence of the genocide in South Africa.

However the South African delegation disproved his claims, including Rupert telling Trump that there is a crime and illegal immigration problem in South Africa.

He pointed out that the crime affects everyone in South Africa and not just one racial group.

Political commentator Goodenough Mashego says the antics that Trump pulled by playing the montage of Malema singing the ‘Kill the Boer’ chant and showing articles allegedly confirming a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa, didn’t have the impact he thought it would.

Mashego says Trump’s administration should’ve done better in terms of research ahead of the meeting on what they would present.

Following the meeting, Ramaphosa expressed optimism about future relations with the US.

Meanwhile Afriforum’s Kallie Kriel has accused Ramaphosa of being in denial about the alleged crisis in South Africa.

He says Ramaphosa now needs to be more proactive to find solutions to deal with this matter.

The meeting came days after at least 49 Afrikaners left South Africa to resettle in the US, after Trump signed an executive order in February, granting them refugee status, citing discredited claims that their land was being seized and that they were being brutally killed.

Social media has been abuzz with mixed reactions to the meeting.

I knew that I’ve seen those fake crosses somewhere!

For us who’ve been on #CountryDuty for sometime, we remember a protest that Afriforum organized in October 2017 called Black Monday.

They brought these crosses as part of sharing their ‘plight’ and that video that was played… pic.twitter.com/QhGViUgK6G

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) May 21, 2025

Quick check in with all 9 provinces.

That video played by Trump, which province is that.

Do you know this road with crosses?

Let’s start with KZN pic.twitter.com/iTJ3kH9SGJ

— Keletso💫💕💫 (@KeletsoMss) May 21, 2025

All the imbeciles posting that Trump was lying when he took on Ramaphosa in the white house last night, go to South Africa & see for yourselves.
Also look at some of Ramaphosas posts & racist policies then decide who the liar is !!

— Liam Rowland (@LiamRow62883820) May 22, 2025

Trump sitting on his own tie again, being unable to look Ramaphosa in the eye when he speaks to him, is so Trump.

— 🌿 You Don’t Say! 🌿 (@TheRealParaFox) May 22, 2025

“Kill the Boer, Kill the farmer song”.

Ramaphosa & almost everyone in ANC government today also sang the same struggle song before 1994 election, and he knows that it is just a song like 2 Pac singing, “I made love to your wife.”
That is why he was laughing when Trump played it.

— Aluta Continua (@Che_Idi_Amin) May 22, 2025

Yesterday Cyril Ramaphosa a president of South Africa went to the Oval office to say “Noma yini bhoza yam” to Donald Trump https://t.co/XrfWmkluIr

— The Unmatched🇿🇦 (@the_unmached) May 22, 2025

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa made a strategic decision to include two prominent white South African golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, in his delegation during meetings with US President Donald Trump. This move aimed to counter the false claims of persecution…

— Cecil Duncan TrueBlue (@cecil_duncan) May 22, 2025