Several South Africans have praised President Cyril Ramaphosa for staying calm during a tense meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The meeting, held on Thursday, was meant to improve the strained relationship between South Africa and the United States. However, it quickly took an unexpected turn. Instead of focusing on trade and diplomacy, Trump accused South Africa of committing a “white genocide.” He claimed that white farmers were being killed and forced off their land. To support his claims, Trump played a video that included clips from news headlines, protest footage, and rallies. These claims have long been debunked and were met with disbelief back in South Africa.
The meeting caused outrage, with many South Africans shocked by Trump’s baseless accusations. Rebecca Davis, a columnist for the Daily Maverick, wrote that Ramaphosa handled the situation well, noting that at least he “did not get Zelenskyed.” Her comment referred to a previous incident earlier this year when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got into a heated argument with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance in the same room. In contrast, Ramaphosa remained composed throughout, earning respect at home for his steady response to Trump’s false and inflammatory remarks. “It was impossible not to feel for Ramaphosa, who had been bombarded with messaging before the trip that he should under no circumstances lose his cool rise to the bait. So he didn’t,” she added.
Daily Maverick from South Africa also praised the president for his cool and composed reaction to Trump’s accusations. “Ramaphosa, resolute yet respectful, disagreed. Rather than escalate, he stayed engaged, reflecting what he had earlier in the week described as his “rational” approach to diplomacy,” wrote a South African news website. Additionally, a spokesperson from South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Ministry defended President Ramaphosa, saying the key takeaway was that the two leaders had a dialogue. “It’s not in the president’s (Ramaphosa’s) nature to be combative. (He) looks at issues calmly, matter-of-factly. I think that’s what we (should) expect of our presidents,” he further told news agency Reuters.
