WATCH | Ramaphosa charm offensive helps in sticky meeting with Trump

President Cyril Ramaphosa managed to disarm US President Donald Trump with his usual charm offensive, albeit with the help of his delegation, most notably billionaire businessman Johann Rupert, who told the US administration that murders were most prevalent in the Western Cape.

The meeting started off smoothly with Ramaphosa identifying some of the commonalities between the two countries, including their peace talks in central and east Africa as well as the war in Russia and Ukraine.

Seated in the infamous yellow chairs at the Oval Office, Ramaphosa thanked Trump for his invitation, flattering him with compliments over the newly refurbished White House.

“But let me end the introductory remarks by thanking you. You may not recall that five years ago, I spoke to you during the Covid period, and it was at a time when the whole world was going through a really cathartic moment, and we asked for assistance and respirators and you kept your word, and you delivered respirators to us.

“We didn't have as many in our country. It really helped to deal, to help us deal with Covid. So I'm here also to say thank you, and to thank the people of America for having helped us during a really difficult time, being this small economy that we are. We needed help from around the world, and you were there to provide that. So thank you very much,” Ramaphosa said.

In his opening address, Trump attempted to intimidate Ramaphosa, claiming that he was respected in some corners but there were some who had little respect for the South African president.

Trump lauded his South African friends who formed part of Ramaphosa’s delegation at the request of Trump, golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, several times during the almost hour-long joint media briefing, barely giving Ramaphosa a chance to address some of his accusations.

Trump used most of the engagement, making accusations against South Africa, claiming that there was a persecution of white South African farmers, falling short of calling out Ramaphosa for acts of genocide as he has done in the past.

To push his agenda, Trump ambushed the South African delegation by showing clips of EFF leader Julius Malema chanting “Kill the Boer” and former president Jacob Zuma also making remarks against white South Africans.

Ramaphosa attempted to push back by remarking that late struggle icon Nelson Mandela had taught South Africans to always pursue peace. On one occasion, Trump joked that he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his working visit in South Africa to ask him what he was doing in South Africa.

When asked what it would take to convince Trump there was no white genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa stepped in to respond, saying that it would take Trump listening to the voices of South Africans.

“I'm not going to be repeating what I can say. I would say, if there was a farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen [Rupert, Goosen and Els] would not be here, including my minister of agriculture [John Steenhuisen]. He would not be with me. So it will take him, President Trump, listening to their stories [and] to their perspective.”

Trump quickly jumped in, saying there were 1,000s of stories and documentaries on the persecution of white people in South Africa.

He then played the clips of Malema, also taking out clips of newspaper articles from South African media, including TimesLIVE.

Labelling one journalist as a jerk, Trump blamed the media for failing to tell stories about the so-called persecution in South Africa.

Ramaphosa said South Africa’s constitution protected all its people from unfair expropriation, but Trump refused to listen, insisting that white farmers were being killed in South Africa.

TimesLIVE