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Ramaphosa Calls US Claims of Killings of White South Africans 'Blatant Misinformation'

President Cyril Ramaphosa accused the United States of spreading "blatant misinformation" by repeating false claims that South Africa is killing white people. He said assertions of a "white genocide" targeting Afrikaners are unfounded and have influenced the US boycott of the Johannesburg G20 and plans to exclude South Africa from the next summit. Ramaphosa blamed a sustained disinformation campaign for harming jobs and bilateral ties but said South Africa remains willing to engage with the US as an equal sovereign partner.

06:08 AM, 12/01/2025Politics
Ramaphosa Calls US Claims of Killings of White South Africans 'Blatant Misinformation'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has accused the United States of spreading "blatant misinformation" by repeating allegations that South Africa is killing white people. In a televised address on the SABC, Ramaphosa said the claims that Afrikaners are being targeted in a so-called "white genocide" are false and have been amplified abroad.

Ramaphosa noted that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the issue since returning to the White House earlier this year, citing false narratives about violence and land confiscation aimed at white South Africans. He said those narratives helped shape the US decision to boycott the recent G20 summit in Johannesburg and to announce that South Africa would not be invited to the next meeting of world leaders, which is planned for Miami.

"This is blatant misinformation about our country,"
Ramaphosa said, adding that the US administration's stance appears to have been influenced by a sustained disinformation campaign by groups and individuals inside South Africa, in the United States and elsewhere.

He warned that the spread of falsehoods was harming South Africa's national interests, costing jobs and damaging relations with an important international partner. Ramaphosa emphasized that the Afrikaner community — a minority group descended from European colonisers — should not be the subject of unfounded claims of genocide.

Despite the diplomatic strain, Ramaphosa said South Africa remains willing "to continue to engage in dialogue with the United States government, and to do so with respect and with dignity as equal sovereign countries." He called for conversations based on facts and constructive engagement rather than disputed allegations.

The dispute highlights how misinformation can affect international diplomacy and domestic politics, and underscores the South African government's concern over foreign influence on its international standing.

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Ramaphosa Calls US Claims of Killings of White South Africans 'Blatant Misinformation' - CRBC News