U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at a meeting in the Oval Office with claims that white farmers in South Africa are being systematically targeted and killed, accusing the South African government of land seizures and anti-white policies.
The meeting, intended to reset U.S.–South Africa relations, quickly devolved when Trump played a video featuring opposition leader Julius Malema singing a controversial anti-apartheid song with the lyrics “kill the Boer,” which refers to white farmers. Trump also presented news articles and a video showing white crosses meant to symbolize slain white farmers.
Ramaphosa, composed but clearly blindsided by the display, dismissed Trump’s accusations as misinformation and unrepresentative of his government’s policies. Ramaphosa highlighted the presence of prominent white South Africans, including golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and businessman Johann Rupert, in his delegation as evidence against claims of white-targeted violence.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, but most victims are Black. The country recorded 26,232 murders in 2024, but only 44 were linked to farming communities.
