South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has opened up about his much-anticipated Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, addressing reporters after what many back home feared would be a diplomatic disaster.
In the days leading up to the encounter, anxiety reportedly rippled through South Africa. Headlines captured the nation’s apprehension — one newspaper dubbed Ramaphosa’s trip “Into the mouth of Trump hell.” The concern was that Ramaphosa, like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy months earlier, might be publicly berated by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a media spectacle.
Tensions heightened when Trump confronted Ramaphosa with unfounded claims about widespread attacks on white farmers in South Africa. As Face2faceafrica.com reported earlier, Trump even presented a video showing a fringe South African politician chanting slogans referencing the killing of white farmers.
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Yet, Ramaphosa downplayed the intensity of the meeting, telling reporters, “You wanted to see drama and something big happening. I’m sorry that we disappointed you somewhat.”
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Known in South Africa for his composed demeanor and methodical political style, Ramaphosa is not easily shaken. His reputation was forged during South Africa’s historic transition from apartheid, where he served as the African National Congress’ chief negotiator in dismantling decades of racial segregation. Though once seen as Nelson Mandela’s natural successor, Ramaphosa only assumed the presidency in 2018 after a long hiatus from frontline politics.
The decision to meet Trump was calculated. Ramaphosa sought to confront what he viewed as damaging misrepresentations of South Africa coming from the U.S. administration and to forge vital new trade partnerships. Still, many South Africans questioned the wisdom of engaging with a leader who has frequently accused the South African government of permitting what he terms a “genocide” against white farmers.
“I honestly don’t understand why Ramaphosa is actually in the United States when Trump has made it very clear how he feels about South Africa,” said Dumisani Mnisi, a university student in Johannesburg.
READ ALSO: Why Trump And The US Right Are Pushing The ‘White Genocide’ Agenda In South Africa
While the highly publicized Oval Office session generated buzz, Ramaphosa’s team suggested it was little more than a choreographed media display. “An orchestrated show for the cameras,” his spokesperson said, adding that the substantive discussion took place behind closed doors.
Ramaphosa expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his closed-door discussions, highlighting what he saw as key achievements to bring back from Washington.
Among them, he said, was progress in convincing Trump to reverse his administration’s earlier decision to skip the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa this November. With South Africa preparing to pass the rotating G20 presidency to the United States next year, Ramaphosa viewed the summit as a crucial diplomatic moment.
He noted that while fully shifting Trump’s perspective on South Africa might take time, the meeting had at least laid the groundwork. As Ramaphosa put it, winning Trump over would likely be “a process.”
READ ALSO: Afrikaner farmers refute Trump’s ‘genocide’ claim as U.S. scrutiny falls on South Africa
