President Cyril Ramaphosa is bracing for a possibly humiliating dressing-down when he meets US President Donald Trump this week, in what is expected to be a confrontation over race policies and the claim of “genocide” against white Afrikaners.
In what will be the most significant diplomatic engagement of his presidency, Ramaphosa will be looking to safeguard and advance South Africa's lucrative trade and investment partnership with the US.
At stake is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade deal, which allows for duty-free exports to the US worth about R66bn for products in the auto, citrus and wine industries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ordeal in the White House’s Oval Office in late February will be top of mind, serving as a reminder to expect the worst in a hostile engagement in front of the cameras.
In remarks that gave a flavour of his approach, Trump told reporters on Air Force One this week, when asked about the arrival of Afrikaner “refugees” in Washington: “We treat people very well when we see there’s a genocide going on. So if it’s a genocide, that’s terrible ... South Africa’s out of control.”
The South African government has drawn up a detailed battle plan to counter an onslaught in Washington that it has been told will probably be led by US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
High-level government officials told the Sunday Times they expect the discussions to be “robust”, with South African-born billionaire Elon Musk likely to be at Trump’s side.
Ramaphosa will be joined by ministers Ronald Lamola (international relations), Parks Tau (trade, industry & competition), Khumbudzo Ntshavheni (the Presidency) and the DA leader John Steenhuisen (agriculture). Also on team Ramaphosa is his envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, and his investments adviser Alistair Ruiters.
“The likelihood of humiliation is there,” one official said.
“We have been given a sense that behind closed doors, it’s going to be a rough meeting. We expect Elon will be putting pressure on [Ramaphosa] in front of President Trump on his Starlink issue, and will be lamenting our BEE laws as discriminatory.
It’s going to be an extremely difficult meeting
“We are also made to understand that Marco Rubio will be leading the charge and playing the bad cop. It’s going to be an extremely difficult meeting, and all of the contentious issues around the so-called white genocide, singing of the ‘kill the boer’ song, as well as issues related to Israel, will be led by Rubio, and Elon will be there to just drive the point.
“We also know sensitive issues will be instigated publicly either by one of the politicians or one of the bloggers who are part of the embedded White House media,” the source said.
In his meeting with Zelensky, Trump accused him of gambling with World War 3. The Ukrainian leader was effectively shown the door at the end of a hostile session in which Vice-President JD Vance criticised him for failing to show sufficient gratitude for the help his country had received from the US.
Earlier this month, during a joint media briefing in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump tersely retorted “Never say never” when Carney told reporters his country was not for sale.
In public, the government is saying it expects the “highest level of decorum” in Washington.
“We are not going to the US on our own [accord], we have been invited by President Trump,” Ntshavheni told a media briefing this week.
“He is the one who made the public announcement, so there is no-one who invites a guest to mistreat them. It doesn’t mean we will agree in all areas, we will differ, but we believe our relationship with the US is mutually beneficial.”
One official said Steenhuisen’s presence would serve a dual purpose — to promote trade in farm products and offer a rejoinder to the US “white genocide” narrative.
“It’s critical that he is there for the optics because it raises questions; why would the government have a white minister in a country where white people are being killed in a form of genocide.”
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa was losing no sleep over what kind of reception awaited him.
"[He] will not paralyse himself with fear or elevated concerns about a potential hostile reception in the White House.
“He will go there with one mission in mind, he has got an economy which he needs to grow, he has jobs he has committed to create and livelihoods he is duty bound to protect.”
But Magwenya said Ramaphosa had the right to disagree with anyone who maintained his government was carrying out genocide.
“In any platform, the president will reject that notion, albeit diplomatically, albeit elegantly, as we have seen in how he carries himself in public platforms. He treats people with dignity, with an enormous amount of courtesy, but he is firm on any view, and his firmness does not translate into any rudeness.
In any platform, the president will reject that notion, albeit diplomatically, albeit elegantly, as we have seen in how he carries himself in public platforms. He treats people with dignity, with an enormous amount of courtesy
— Vincent Magwenya
“We do anticipate that the issue of the so-called Afrikaner refugee and white genocide will be a discussion that will be robust; equally, the issue of Israel and its attacks on Gaza will be a robust one,” Magwenya said.
He said another issue in the Washington talks would be BEE, “President Trump’s or Musk’s view of our redress laws as discriminatory and racially based”.
“The president has directly engaged Musk on this, but judging on what we have seen on X, he has not accepted that explanation; if anything, he has gone on to further weaponise his X platform against South Africa using disinformation. So those issues are issues the president holds firm views on, and we will expect that they will inspire a rather robust discussion.”
Heads of government whose meetings with Trump have gone smoothly have all been careful to flatter and praise him, and one insider said Ramaphosa had taken note of this.
The two heads of state will discuss the war in Ukraine and the efforts both have made to end the fighting. Trump’s recent call to Ramaphosa was made at the time of Zelensky’s visit to Pretoria.
On South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Magwenya said it was too late to withdraw it and Pretoria did not want to do so.
“We would not consider withdrawing the matter because of the historical principle as well as the ... legal obligation for us as a state party to act in the event where we see or even suspect a genocide maybe committed.”
Magwenya said the government was not going to Trump “with a begging bowl”.
“If you look at the volume of trade between the two countries and the kind of opportunities that could open up in a space where there was close co-operation and normalised relations, the US is a market that we cannot ignore.”
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), under which South African exports to the US have benefited from tariff exemptions, appears to be doomed but Magwenya said Ramaphosa would propose alternative trade arrangements.
“In the event that President Trump has decided to scrap Agoa, we are ready to then initiate a discussion on a new trade relationship framework.”
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