President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to Washington DC next week for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, as tensions between South Africa and the United States reach their highest point in years.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, 21 May, comes amid a diplomatic storm triggered by the US government’s decision to grant refugee status to a group of white Afrikaner South Africans, despite Pretoria’s firm rejection of claims that they are facing persecution.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the South African Presidency confirmed the meeting and described it as an opportunity “to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries.”
Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to engage Trump on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including trade, human rights, and geopolitical alignment.
Controversy erupted
The controversy erupted earlier this week with the arrival of 49 Afrikaner refugees in the US, part of what the Trump administration claims is a humanitarian response to “persecution” in South Africa.
Pretoria has strongly denied these allegations, calling them “entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy.”
“There’s no genocide here. We are beautiful, happy people, black and white working and living together,” said Deputy President Paul Mashatile in response to the claims.
“President Trump has been lied to.”
White South Africans, who make up just over 7 percent of the population, continue to enjoy the highest standard of living in the country, according to national statistics.
Relations between the two countries have also been strained by South Africa’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, as well as a controversial land expropriation bill aimed at addressing apartheid-era land ownership imbalances.
Washington has condemned the legislation, claiming it would allow the government to seize white-owned property.
‘Make America Great Again’
Tensions deepened in March when the US expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, following his criticism of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement during an online event.
The US also slashed development aid to South Africa in the wake of the dispute.
Despite the diplomatic fallout, Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that the president’s working visit – from Monday to Thursday next week – will include trade negotiations.
The US is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, but Trump’s recently announced tariffs, now under a 90-day pause, have raised alarm among exporters, particularly in the automotive and agricultural sectors.
South African officials say they hope the meeting can bring clarity and renewed cooperation between the two nations.
“President Ramaphosa will invite President Trump to visit our beautiful country,” Mashatile said.
The White House has not yet commented publicly on the upcoming talks.
Any hope these talks lead to agreement on any of the issues?
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