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Roving Periscope: Now, Trump tries a Zelenskyy on SA President Ramaphosa

Roving Periscope: Now, Trump tries a Zelenskyy on SA President Ramaphosa

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Virendra Pandit

 

New Delhi: In 1936, Dale Carnegie penned his world-famous self-help book How to Win Friends and Influence People. Nine decades on, if US President Donald Trump writes a similar book, its title could well be…How to Lose Friends and Make Enemies!

For, ever since he returned to the White House on January 20, Trump has successfully turned several friends into enemies—with little gain for America which he wants to make great again.

Even Tesla chief Elon Musk, one of his closest allies, is no longer a favorite and is said to be quitting the unpredictable Team Trump on May 31.

The visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa became the latest ‘victim’ of Trump’s tantrums. The US President tried to do to Ramaphosa on Wednesday what he had done to Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy on February 28—public humiliation.

Trump lectured Ramaphosa over the alleged ‘white genocide’ in South Africa and even showed him some purported ‘proofs,’ the media reported on Thursday.

While Ramaphosa sought to reset ties with Washington, Trump played footage alleging ‘white genocide’ in South Africa and challenged its land reform policy.

Their meeting began on a friendly note, as they talked about golf and Trump complimenting Ramaphosa on the golfing talent in his country.

However, as soon as the South African leader turned to issues like trade, and a critical minerals agreement, an unpredictable Trump shifted gears and confronted Ramaphosa, citing allegations of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa and presenting what he claimed was video and media evidence. 

The meeting, intended to reset relations between the two countries, took a tense turn as Trump suddenly showered questions over alleged anti-white violence and South Africa’s land reform policy. 

Trump abruptly shifted the conversation to what he called “white genocide” in South Africa. He played a video during the meeting that he claimed was evidence of incitement against white farmers and cited what he described as inflammatory remarks by South African politicians. 

“But the farmers are not Black,” Trump told Ramaphosa after the latter countered that most murder victims in South Africa are Black citizens.

Trump also handed Ramaphosa printed news articles that he claimed backed his concerns. 

Ramaphosa denied the genocide claim and said he would investigate the video’s authenticity.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly criticised South Africa’s land expropriation without compensation policy, calling it a threat to white landowners.  

In February, Trump announced a cut to US funding for South Africa, citing Washington’s opposition to the policy. The US provided nearly USD 440 million in aid to South Africa in 2023. 

This is Trump’s second high-level diplomatic confrontation over internal matters of another country. Earlier this year, he publicly clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging the war with Russia.

Aparthied officially ended in South Africa through multiple negotiations and political reforms, culminating in the first multiracial general election in 1994. This led to the establishment of a democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC). While apartheid laws were repealed and South Africa transitioned to majority rule, the social and economic impacts of this old policy remained deeply entranched. Several White supremacists continued trying to restore their power which led to violence.

 

 

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