Ramaphosa handled Trump's 'genocide' video 'remarkably well' - CADL's Landsberg

JOHANNESBURG - With tense engagements between the US and South Africa now over, efforts to dispel the myth of a white genocide remain on the country's agenda.

On Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa met with his US counterpart, President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office, where the country’s diplomatic ties were discussed.

The leaders also addressed the myth of white farmer murders, with Trump escalating the talks by playing videos for Ramaphosa showing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, singing the chant "Kill the boer, kill the farmer".

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The US president used the footage and pictures of white crosses in a field to advance the false narrative of mass white farmer killings in South Africa.

During his Oval Office meeting with Ramaphosa on Wednesday, Trump refused to budge on his baseless belief of mass farm murders happening in South Africa, despite Ramaphosa openly dispelling it.

Professor Chris Landsberg from the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership (CADL) said that he was in the room when the president and his contingent were planning for the meeting.

He said that while they considered every eventuality, they did not expect Trump to dim the lights and play a mini documentary showing Malema chanting "Kill the boer, kill the farmer".

"The worst case scenario was Trump doing a Zelensky on our president. The dimming of the lights was an attempt at a Zelensky. You know what, I think the difference is our president handled it remarkably well."

Professor Landsberg said that the myth of an Afrikaner genocide had caused great damage and it must be addressed with lobby groups, AfriForum and Solidarity.