Trump performs South Africa’s president

When visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House, US President Donald Trump publicly brought his counterpart to his counterpart. At a meeting in the Oval Office Trump, Trump passed his guest with unaffected allegations that South Africa committed a « genocide » to white farmers.

Surprisingly, he even showed video recordings to underpin his genocide. Ramaphosa repeatedly tried to relax the situation and to surround Trump. At least partially, the charm offensive had an effect: the US President kept open, possibly to take part in the G20 summit in South Africa in November.

Trump allegations against South Africa

The relationships between the two countries were recently very tense – mainly because of Trump’s « genocide » allegations against South Africa. The US President complains of discrimination against white minorities in South Africa, in particular the so-called African, who are descendants of Dutch settlers. They led the racist apartheid regime in South Africa until the early 1990s, which systematically discriminated against the black majority of the population.

Trump is particularly bothered by a new law that allows land expansion in the public interest to compensate for inequalities from the time of apartheid. The majority of the agricultural areas in South Africa are still owned by members of the little white minority.

Experts contradict Trump’s representation of an alleged genocide. In doing so, he takes up a conspiracy theory of the so -called « white genocide » spread in right -wing extremist circles. South Africa also decidedly rejects the accusation.

Escalation and tried de -escalation

At the beginning of February, Trump had frozen aid for South Africa, and in March the United States also issued the country’s ambassador. The United States recently took up a first group of white South Africans and granted them refugee status – although Trump’s government has largely stopped taking refugees from war and crisis areas.

The South African government had decisively rejected the allegations of the Americans before Ramaphosa’s visit and sharply criticized the move. Ramaphosa finally traveled to Washington – with the aim of reducing the tensions between the two countries.

He came to achieve a restart in relation to the United States, said Ramaphosa at the meeting with Trump. « We want to reorganize the relationships between our two countries. »

Trump’s provocation

After a long exchange in front of running cameras, Trump suddenly had the light in the Oval Office Dimmen and video recordings played on a large television. The pictures showed graves on the edge of a street, said the Republican. « It’s a terrible sight. I’ve never seen anything like it. »

Ramaphosa replied: « Did you tell you where that is, Mr. President? I would like to know where that is, because I’ve never seen that before. » The South African President promised that he would pursue this. Trump also kept out printed articles about alleged violence on white farmers, went through the sides individually and commented on: « Death, death, death. » In the end, he handed over the stack of papers to his counterpart.

Charm offensive of the guest from South Africa

Ramaphosa tried repeatedly to relax the situation and emphasized that if there were problems, one had to talk about partners. He was ready to talk about everything – without the presence of reporters. The South African President also tried to flatter Trump several times, make him laugh with jokes and milder with political offers – such as access to South African raw materials.

At the start, for example, the guest announced that he had brought a « fantastic » book as a gift that presented the golf courses in South Africa. Trump is a passionate golfer. « I would like to introduce our golf courses, » Ramaphosa campaigned for Trump’s favor and said that he himself has also started golfing. « So I’m ready. »

South African President invited Trump to a state visit to his country and offered new trade transactions. South Africa offered raw materials that the United States would need, including rare earths.

Trump: I would take a plane

Elsewhere, Ramaphosa tried with humor. When Trump was asked about the controversial agreement, according to which the United States accepts a gifted jumbojet from the USA, which is to be retrofitted as a presidential machine for Trump, the South African stuck in between: « I’m sorry that I don’t have a plane for you. » Trump returned: « If her country of the United States airwaffe were offered an airplane, I would accept it. »

However, Trump repeatedly returned to his « genocide » allegations and spoke of a « very sad thing ». The 78-year-old warned: « It has to be solved. » If that happens, then the prospects for the relationship with South Africa are « fantastic ».

Maybe a participation in the G20 summit after all?

When asked whether he would travel to South Africa in the face of the tensions in November, Trump finally reacted a little more benevolent and at least kept open. It is important that the United States was there at the G7 group of the Gast industrialized countries as well as at the G20 summit, said Trump. However, he did not deliver a clear promise. The summit of the leading industrialized and emerging countries (G20) will take place in the South African economic metropolis of Johannesburg in November.

Trump had indicated in April that he could boycott the summit in November. In the past few weeks, Trump’s Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Finance Minister Scott Bessent had already canceled preparatory meetings with their G20 colleagues in South Africa.

And shortly before Trump’s meeting with Ramaphosa, Rubio said at a hearing in the US Senate that the US government had decided not to take part in this year’s G20 summit in South Africa-« neither at the level of Foreign Minister nor at the level of the President ». The background is some topics on the agenda of the meeting that did not reflect the priorities of the Trump government. This now seems at least a matter of negotiation.