Gambiaj.com – (Washington, D.C.) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa maintained calm and composure under intense and unexpected pressure during a White House meeting on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump ambushed him with debunked claims of a “White genocide” in South Africa — shocking the visiting delegation and sparking fierce debate back home.

The highly anticipated bilateral meeting, originally billed as a diplomatic exchange on trade and security, took a dramatic and controversial turn when President Trump called for the lights in the Oval Office to be dimmed and screened a four-and-a-half-minute video montage.

The footage, which included incendiary clips of South African opposition leader Julius Malema chanting “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer,” claimed to offer evidence of targeted killings of White South Africans.

The ambush, described by observers as a theatrical and deeply misleading display, left Ramaphosa’s delegation visibly stunned. Yet the South African president, known for his role in negotiating the end of apartheid, responded with measured restraint.

“President Ramaphosa’s calm, collected, and humble demeanor in the face of bigotry and lies was leadership at its finest,” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, echoing widespread sentiment across South African media and social platforms.

Veteran journalist Milton Nkosi, now a senior research fellow at the Africa Asia Dialogues think tank, remarked, “What else could Cyril have done? You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I think they were caught completely unawares. How on earth could you have planned for that?”

The White House confrontation came amid a resurgence of far-right rhetoric in the U.S., with Trump leaning heavily on discredited narratives about South Africa’s post-apartheid land reform policies and rural crime.

Experts have long dismissed claims of a “White genocide” in South Africa as unfounded. A CNN investigation found no data to support such claims, citing South African police statistics and independent analysis.

In the room with Ramaphosa was billionaire luxury goods magnate Johan Rupert, a White South African businessman behind brands such as Cartier. Rupert attempted to refocus the conversation by noting that violent crime affects all races in South Africa.

“We have too many deaths. But it’s across the board. It’s not only White farmers,” Rupert said, adding that South Africa needs technological support such as Starlink internet and drones at rural police stations.

Elon Musk, the South African-born U.S. tech billionaire, was also present during the meeting. Rupert, perhaps seeking common ground, made a direct appeal to Musk, but the overture did little to shift the tone of the encounter.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, another White South African official, also tried to correct Trump’s claims, stating bluntly that the information the U.S. president relied on was false. But Trump appeared unmoved, continuing to question why Julius Malema had not been arrested over the use of the controversial song.

Malema, expelled from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) over a decade ago and now leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), responded sharply on X: “A group of older men meet in Washington to gossip about me,” he wrote. “We will not agree to compromise our political principles on land expropriation without compensation for political expediency.”

South African courts, including the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2024, have ruled that the song “Dubula iBhunu” (“Shoot the Boer”) is a historic struggle song, not a literal call to violence.

Still, the footage was used by Trump to paint a dire picture of racial violence against Whites, reinforcing narratives championed by White nationalist groups.

Among those celebrating the meeting was AfriForum, a controversial Afrikaner advocacy organization often accused of promoting White nationalist views. Its CEO, Kallie Kriel, praised the encounter, saying in a voice note, “It shows that the South African president and the ANC leadership cannot just simply sweep real problems… under the carpet.”

But for many South Africans, especially those familiar with the data and history, the Oval Office scene was jarring — and deeply troubling.

“It is absolutely absurd to sit and watch the president of the most powerful country in the world telling the man who negotiated to end apartheid, who was locked up in solitary confinement, that there’s White genocide in South Africa, which is a lie. That is crazy,” Nkosi said in a follow-up interview with CNN.

Though the South African delegation had reportedly braced for a difficult meeting, nothing could have prepared them for the Oval Office ambush. Still, many believe Ramaphosa passed the test of statesmanship.

“You were a leader today,” one X user posted. “Went to build, not to fight.”

The meeting may prove a pivotal moment in how South Africa navigates its complex relationship with the United States during this volatile phase of global politics. For now, it’s clear that the fallout from the Oval Office confrontation will reverberate across both nations — and far beyond.