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Several South Africans have praised President Cyril Ramaphosa for “keeping his cool” following a dramatic meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday.
While Ramaphosa’s visit focused on improving ties with the United States, which have nosedived since Trump began his second term, the US president had other plans.
In what was supposed to be a meeting regarding bilateral trade, US President Trump accused South Africa of committing a “white genocide.”
In the meeting, Donald Trump presented baseless allegations to his South African counterpart that white minority farmers in the country were being killed and having their land seized.
Trump also presented a video with clips from news articles, anti-apartheid rallies and headlines, which reiterated the US leader’s point of a “white genocide.”
South Africans praise Ramaphosa
The incident sparked a row in South Africa, where citizens could not believe the US president would present disproved claims.
Rebecca Davis of the national Daily Maverick, herself a white South African, praised Ramaphosa in a column and wrote that at least the president “did not get Zelenskyed.” Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance had a heated public exchange during a meeting in the Oval Office.
“It was impossible not to feel for Ramaphosa, who had been bombarded with messaging before the trip that he should under no circumstances lose his cool rise to the bait. So he didn’t,” she added.
South Africa’s Daily Maverick also praised the president for his calm and collected response.
“Ramaphosa, resolute yet respectful, disagreed. Rather than escalate, he stayed engaged, reflecting what he had earlier in the week described as his “rational” approach to diplomacy,” wrote South African news website.
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs ministry of South Africa defended Ramaphosa and stated that what matters is that the two leaders engaged.
“It’s not in the president’s (Ramaphosa’s) nature to be combative. (He) looks at issues calmly, matter-of-factly. I think that’s what we (should) expect of our presidents,” he told news agency Reuters.
