What was meant to be a diplomatic meeting aimed at improving US-South Africa relations quickly descended into controversy on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a White House news conference, accusing South Africa of complicity in a "white genocide" against white farmers.
In an unexpected move, Trump displayed a video showing several crosses along a road, which he claimed were burial sites for murdered white farmers.
However, the video contained images from the Congo, not South Africa, showing grave markers unrelated to the supposed genocide.
The claims of "white genocide" have circulated among right-wing groups for years, but they have been widely debunked and dismissed by experts and South African authorities.
Ramaphosa, appearing unfazed, calmly responded, emphasising that such claims were not supported by the South African government.
"What you saw... that is not government policy," Ramaphosa said, pointing out that South Africa’s multi-party democracy allows for diverse opinions, but these views did not reflect official policy.
The exchange also shifted to South Africa's controversial land expropriation policy.
Trump suggested that the South African government’s stance on land redistribution was tied to the violence against white farmers.
Ramaphosa clarified that criminal activity in South Africa was not racially motivated, with the majority of farm attack victims being black South Africans, not white farmers.
To diffuse the tension, Ramaphosa invoked the presence of notable South Africans in his delegation, including famous golfers and the country’s wealthiest individual, Johann Rupert.
"If there was a genocide, these three gentlemen would not be here," Ramaphosa quipped.
Despite the attempts to calm the situation, the meeting underscored the growing diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa.
Tensions have been rising since the US granted asylum to 59 white South Africans and suspended critical aid to South Africa in February.
Critics of the White House's handling of the situation, including the use of misleading images, accused Trump of trying to embarrass Ramaphosa and derail the meeting.
The controversy over the "white genocide" claims continues to fuel debates around race and land reform in South Africa.
The government’s land expropriation policy remains a contentious issue, attracting international scrutiny and stirring political divisions.
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