EFF disappointed with Ramaphosa for not defending SA's courts in Trump meeting

JOHANNESBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said its disappointed that President Cyril Ramaphosa could not defend South African courts before US President Donald Trump during a meeting in the White House between the two heads of state.

On Wednesday, Trump and Ramaphosa butted heads over the myth of a white genocide in the country, with Trump playing videos on a screen for Ramaphosa showing the leader of the red berets, Julius Malema, singing the chant "Kill the boer, kill the farmer".

Trump used this to advance his misinformed belief of a white genocide, asking Ramaphosa why he has not arrested Malema.

But South African courts have ruled that the controversial chant is not hate speech, which Ramaphosa struggled to clarify to Trump.

The EFF's head of international relations, Nqobile Mhlongo, criticised the president for this.

"We are disappointed that Mr Ramaphosa failed to defend the courts of South Africa. He knows very well that the chant was defended in the Equality Court, the SCA and the Constitutional Court."