On May 21, 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa entered the White House expecting diplomacy. Instead, he received a private screening of fringe conspiracy theories.
As the Akan proverb warns, “When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him. “ Trump’s path followed a long tradition of reducing African leadership to props in Western political drama.
President Ramaphosa anticipated the usual statecraft: photo ops, trade talks, energy dialogues. Instead, he faced an Oval Office ambush, rife with unfounded claims about “white genocide” in South Africa, accompanied by inflammatory visuals circulated by far-right networks—footage even YouTube would throttle.
When Diplomacy Meets Disinformation
Trump’s assertions echoed a narrative that’s been widely discredited by international bodies, including the South African Human Rights Commission, BBC Reality Check, and Reuters: that white South African farmers are being “systematically exterminated.”
While farm attacks—against both black and white South Africans—remain a serious concern, there is no evidence of state-sponsored targeting or racial genocide. South Africa’s crime challenges are real, but so is its commitment to democratic processes, constitutional law, and racial reconciliation.
Ramaphosa, known for his calm under pressure, remained composed. He reminded his host that crime in South Africa affects all races and that land reform is a constitutional process, not a vendetta. As the Swahili proverb says, “The guest who seeks to divide the house will not find shelter under its roof.”
What This Signals About U.S.–Africa Relations
While China signs multibillion-dollar deals for energy corridors, railways, and tech infrastructure across Africa and the EU discusses digital partnerships, the U.S. president chooses to screen YouTube-style content for one of Africa’s most seasoned statesmen.
This moment reinforced a lingering question in African capitals: Does America still take Africa seriously?
Rather than engaging on issues like:
- Load shedding and energy cooperation,
- Youth unemployment and green jobs,
- Investment and infrastructure,
…Trump offered ideological spectacle over substance.
The Diplomatic Fallout
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued a carefully worded statement noting “concern over mischaracterizations” and calling for “mutual respect in all diplomatic engagements.”
Privately, several African envoys have questioned whether future engagements with the U.S. under Trump 2.0 are worth the risk of becoming soundbites in someone else’s culture war.
Meanwhile, China, for all its strategic assertiveness, continues to show up with offers—not ultimatums. Russia, problematic as it is, doesn’t play moral referee. America increasingly looks like the partner who wants to lead without listening.
Tiger’s Roar
Africa is no longer begging for aid or validation. It is negotiating trade, shaping global climate talks, and building a digital economy on its terms.
But when the world’s most powerful office becomes a platform for internet conspiracies, we must ask: Who needs saving—Africa, or America’s global credibility?
Ramaphosa deserved better. So does the continent. If America wants a seat at Africa’s 21st-century table, it must abandon nostalgia, log off the message boards, and arrive prepared.
Tiger Rifkin is the creator of The Witty Observer, a Pan-African media platform focused on geopolitics, leadership, and bold commentary on Africa’s global future.