Ramaphosa flies to the United States: Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa departed South Africa on a working visit to the United States, which will take place from May 19 to May 22, 2025.
He will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 21.
The goal is to address the escalating tensions between the two countries and restore their strategic partnership, which has been shattered by disagreements over foreign policy, South Africa’s land reform measures, and the US’s decision to grant white Afrikaners refugee status.
Ramaphosa’s visit is crucial as both nations manage a tense partnership under international scrutiny, with trade, security, and diplomacy on the table.
A Tough Path: The Reasons Behind Tense Relationships
Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, South Africa’s diplomatic relations with the United States have been rocky. Three main problems are at the core of the conflict:
Tensions in Land Reform
Ramaphosa signed South Africa’s Expropriation Act into law in January 2025, generating intense discussion. In certain situations, the law permits the government to seize land without paying compensation to address historical injustices from apartheid, wherein Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, own relatively little farmland, and white South Africans, who make up only 7.3% of the population, still possess 73%.
This has been denounced by the Trump administration as discriminatory and unfair to white Afrikaner farmers. Ramaphosa has emphasised that it is a “constitutionally mandated legal process” with court oversight, and no land has been seized thus far. Ronald Lamola, the minister of international relations, dismissed Trump’s criticism as overblown and compared it to the US’s own eminent domain rules.
Row of Refugee Status
Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 that granted white South Africans refugee status on the grounds that they are subject to racial persecution.
Since then, 59 have reached the United States, including 49 who landed on May 11, 2025, at Dulles Airport in Virginia, where they were greeted by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau while holding American flags. Supported by his advisor Elon Musk, who claimed in a March 2025 tweet that the ANC was “actively promoting white genocide” with slogans such “Kill the Boer,” Trump has promoted a narrative of “white genocide.”
The South African government has retaliated forcefully, with Lamola maintaining that there is “no proof of any persecution” and Ramaphosa declaring that these allegations are “not true.” According to official crime statistics, farm murders—49 in 2023—represent a very small portion of the nation’s 27,000 yearly killings, which primarily target young Black men living in urban areas.
Conflicts in Foreign Policy
Additionally, the two countries disagree on international issues. The US, a fervent Israeli friend, is upset over South Africa’s decision to bring a genocide lawsuit against Israel before the International Court of Justice. The divide widens when you consider South Africa’s connections to organizations like Hamas and Iran. These disagreements have prepared Ramaphosa and Trump for a difficult but essential meeting.
What’s on the Table: The purpose of the Visit Ramaphosa trip is to build bridges, not only to clear the air. What is being discussed is as follows:
Trade Boost: South Africa’s second-largest trading partner is the United States. Stronger economic connections and resolving trade snags will be the main topics of discussion. Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated that Ramaphosa will present a trade deal that benefits all parties, asserting that “we will not succumb to intimidation.”
Security Cooperation: Since terrorism is a worldwide concern, the leaders may look into methods to work together to ensure regional safety and stability.
Resetting Diplomacy: The visit is an opportunity to restore trust and clear up any misunderstandings. Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for the presidency, describes it as a chance to create a “new trade framework” and patch things up.
Ministers Ronald Lamola, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, John Steenhuisen, and Parks Tau will accompany Ramaphosa, demonstrating the importance South Africa places on this journey.
A More Detailed Look at the Refugee Drama
There is a lot of controversy around the US’s decision to classify white Afrikaners as refugees. Landau received 49 Afrikaners—men, women, and children—when they flew to the United States from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport on May 11, 2025, and described their accounts of violence as “harrowing.”
Trump has stated that they are fleeing a “dreadful situation,” and he has even threatened to skip the November 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa unless the “genocide” is addressed.
More than 8,200 Afrikaners have applied for this program since April, with 100 receiving approval so far.
