Trump’s fresh white genocide claims are ‘blatant misinformation’ — Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called US President Donald Trump’s false claims that South Africa is perpetrating genocide against Afrikaners and confiscating land from white people, “blatant misinformation”.

Ramaphosa was speaking to the nation on Sunday night, 30 November, about the “successful” G20 Leaders’ Summit held last weekend. He began by thanking South Africans for “showing up” for SA, and for “standing by” it.

Read more: G20 South Africa goes post-Trump as middle powers signal fresh path

The G20 comprises 19 countries, and the European Union and African Union. South Africa invited 16 guest countries to participate in its year-long G20 programme.

Ramaphosa said all G20 countries attended all the G20-related meetings throughout the year.

“Except for one member country,” he continued.

“It is regrettable that the United States of America, which is a founding member of the G20 and which takes over the Presidency of the G20 from South Africa in 2026, chose not to participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the final meetings leading up to it.

“It is even more unfortunate that the reasons the US gave for its non-participation were based on baseless and false allegations that South Africa is perpetrating genocide against Afrikaners and the confiscation of land from white people.

“This is blatant misinformation about our country,” Ramaphosa said.

Read more: Trump’s blind spots about SA threaten to whitewash realities — like entrenched gang violence

We affirm our commitment to continue to engage in dialogue with the United States government, and to do so with respect and with dignity as equal sovereign countries.

https://t.co/HRacDDMneg

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 30, 2025

Daily Maverick’s Ferial Haffajee reported that South Africa has had to fend off unprecedented attacks from the US during its G20 Presidency.

Ten days before the Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, Trump announced that the US would not send a delegation to attend the gathering, because Afrikaners were being “killed and slaughtered”, upending US Vice-President JD Vance’s plans to participate in the talks. The US made it clear that it would oppose anything beyond a chairperson’s summary.

“While some sought to create division and polarisation between nations, we used our G20 Presidency to reinforce our shared humanity,” Ramaphosa said on Sunday. In Johannesburg, a Leaders’ Declaration was passed and agreed upon.

Five days after the declaration was adopted without objection by all G20 members except the US, Trump said he would not invite SA to the G20 in Miami, Florida, because it had “refused” to hand over the G20 Presidency to the acting US ambassador to SA following the Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. He reiterated his false claim that a white “genocide” was unfolding in SA.

Read more: South Africa delivered at the G20, Trump delivered a tantrum

“Earlier this week, we formally handed over the G20 Presidency for 2026 to the United States, observing the appropriate diplomatic protocols.

“A few days ago, President Donald Trump made a statement to the effect that South Africa would not be invited to participate in the G20 in the United States. He repeated untrue statements about genocide against Afrikaners and the confiscation of land from white people in our country.

“We must make it clear that South Africa is one of the founding members of the G20 and South Africa is therefore a member of the G20 in its own name and right,” Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

Ramaphosa’s statements come after a report by the Sunday Times on Sunday morning, that he had grown tired of trying to reason with a “bully”. According to the publication, Ramaphosa said Trump had “brazen disdain” for diplomatic protocol, and Pretoria had now decided to confront Washington head-on.

‘Goodwill and friendship’

However, on Sunday night, Ramaphosa said that despite the “challenges and misunderstandings” that have arisen between the two countries, SA “remains a firm and unwavering friend of the American people”.

He noted the many US organisations, businesses and individuals that participated in SA’s Business 20 (B20) Summit and G20 Social Summit, saying that South Africa “valued their constructive and enthusiastic participation”.

The B20 Summit drew nearly 600 American business leaders and saw a successful handover to the US Chamber of Commerce, Ferial Haffajee reported.

Read more: Nearly 600 US business leaders at B20 meetings as African business takes centre stage

“We offer the people of the United States nothing but goodwill and friendship,” Ramaphosa said.

“We affirm our commitment to continue to engage in dialogue with the United States government, and to do so with respect and with dignity as equal sovereign countries. We value the United States government and its people as a partner,” he said.

‘Sustained campaign of disinformation’

Ramaphosa said that SA was “aware” that the stance taken by the Trump administration had been influenced “by a sustained campaign of disinformation by groups and individuals” in SA and the US.

“These people who are spreading disinformation are endangering and undermining South Africa’s national interests, destroying South African jobs and weakening our country’s relations with one of our most important partners,” Ramaphosa said.

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“We are a country that has a tradition of dialogue, that has an enduring ability to come together to confront the challenges we face.

“South African problems must be solved by South Africans themselves,” he said.

Ramaphosa invited those “spreading misinformation” to bring their concerns and solutions to the National Dialogue.

“We must never allow others to try to redefine our country and cause divisions among us or dictate who we are as a nation. We know who we are. We are South Africans. We are defined by our ability to work together and find solutions to the problems that beset our country,” he said. DM