By Gerald Imray and Darlene Superville, Associated Press
Cape Town, South Africa (AP) – President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should meet at the White House next week following Trump allegations – and denied by South Africa – that “genocide” is committed against white farmers in the majority black country.
The meeting, announced Wednesday by the South African government and taking place on May 21, also intervenes after the United States welcomed 59 white South Africans as a refugee on Monday, the start of what the Trump administration said is a wider resettlement plan for the farmers Afrikaner minorities who claimed to be persecuted in their country of origin because of their race. South Africa denies allegations and says that whites in the majority of the black country are not being done out of persecution.
The Ramaphosa office said he would be in the United States from Monday to Thursday next week, and that he will meet Trump on Wednesday in the White House. Ramaphosa’s journey would aim to “reset the strategic relationship between the two countries,” said his office.
The White House has not made any immediate comments on the meeting, which would be the first of Trump with the chief of a nation in Africa since his return in office in January.
Trump criticized the government led by South Africa on several fronts and has published a decree of February 7, reducing all American funding in the country as a punishment for what he said to be his anti-white policies in the country and anti-American foreign policy.
The republican president distinguished South Africa on what the United States calls racist laws against whites and accused the government of “fueling” violence against white farmers. The South African government claims that the relatively low number of murders of white farmers should be convicted but is one of the country’s problems with violent crimes and are not ravily motivated.
Trump said on Monday – the same day that the first batch of Afrikaner refugees arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia – that there was “a genocide that took place” against white farmers who were ignored by the international media.
American criticism of what it calls the racist and anti-white laws of South Africa seems to refer to the laws on the positive action of South Africa which advance opportunities for blacks and a new law on the expropriation of land which gives the government the power to take private land without compensation. Although the government affirms that land law is not a confiscation tool and refers to unused land which can be redistributed for the public good, certain Afrikaner groups say that this could allow their land to be seized and redistributed to a part of the black majority of the country.
Since his return to functions in January, Trump has ordered to end the diversity, equity and inclusion programs through the federal government. The administration has also threatened non -governmental institutions such as colleges and universities with the loss of financial aid unless they do the same.
Trump also demanded government entrepreneurs and other beneficiaries of federal funds to certify, under the threat of severe financial penalties, that they do not manage dei programs that violate anti-discrimination laws.
The Afrikaners are descendants of Dutch, French and German colonial settlers who first came to South Africa in the 17th century. They were the leaders of the previous apartheid system in the country of racial segregation. There are around 2.7 million Afrikaners among the 62 million inhabitants of South Africa, which is more than 80% black. There are also nearly 2 million other British descent whites and other descents.
Trump also accused South Africa of having taken “aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies” in its foreign policy and of being a supporter of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group and Iran.
Trump’s decree quoted South Africa’s decision to accuse the United States Ally Israel of Génocide in Gaza in a case in progress at the International Court of Justice as an example of its anti-American position. Israel opened a military offensive in Gaza after activists led by Hamas killed 1,200 people in an intrusion in October 2023 in southern Israel.
The Israeli operation killed more than 52,928 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not say how many fighters. Nearly 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said.
Israel has resumed blocking food, fuel, drugs and all other supplies of entry into Gaza for weeks, aggravating a humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians
Ramaphosa spoke several times about his desire to engage with diplomaticly Trump and improve the relationship. He says that Trump’s criticism is based on false information given to him about the laws of South Africa and attacks on farmers.
Superville reported to Washington.
Originally published:
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