United States President Donald Trump said he has received many complaints about the treatment of Afrikaners in South Africa, and he will be engaging President Cyril Ramaphosa during their high-stakes meeting in Washington DC on Wednesday.
On Wednesday evening, a large contingent of media gathered as the two heads of state started their engagements with informal addresses to the media.
With pleasantries out of the way, Trump shot off: “A lot of people are concerned about South Africa and we will see how that turns out.
We have many people who feel they are being persecuted and they are coming to the United States. We take from many locations and if we feel there is persecution or genocide going on.
“We have had a tremendous number of people, especially since they have seen this, generally they are white farmers and they are fleeing South Africa. It is a very sad thing to see. I hope we can have an explanation of that … it is a different kind of meeting and we will talk about that,” Trump addressed the media sitting next to Ramaphosa, moments after the South African delegation arrived at the White House.
Trump said bilateral trade will be on the agenda.
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Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington comes amid strained relations with the Trump administration.
Tensions escalated during Trump’s second term, particularly after he sharply criticised South Africa’s land reform policy, claiming it enabled the seizure of land from white Afrikaner farmers—a claim the South African government has rejected.
The relationship further deteriorated in February when the United States cut HIV and AIDS funding to South Africa.
Recently, Washington granted refugee status to 49 white South Africans, citing racial discrimination, another claim South Africa has strongly denied.
Earlier, reported that one of South Africa’s richest men, renowned businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen are reportedly part of the high-level South African delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who are set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington.
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