Washington D.C., United States – President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected claims of a white genocide in South Africa, reaffirming the nation’s democratic principles that uphold freedom of expression for all citizens.
This during a high-stakes meeting with the United States President Donald Trump, at the Oval Office in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, which was part of a broader mission by the South African delegation to reset and strengthen relations with the United States.
In an unprecedented turn, President Trump played video clips of South African opposition party leaders chanting “kill the boer” to substantiate accusations that white South Africans, particularly farmers, were being systematically targeted and killed.
President Ramaphosa, who remained composed throughout the exchange, firmly pushed back on the narrative. He clarified the government’s position and explained South Africa has a democracy that allows people to express themselves.
“What you saw on the speeches that have been made, is not government policy. We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves. Political parties adhere to various policies, in many cases those policies do not go along with government policy,” he said.
He clarified that the government of South Africa did not endorse such rhetoric and reiterated that the views expressed in the clips represented fringe voices within the country’s vibrant multiparty democracy.
“They are a small minority party which is allowed to exist in terms of our Constitution. Nobody can take land. There is criminality in our country. People who do get killed unfortunately through criminal activity are not only white people, but the majority of them are also black people,” he said.
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