JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – African National Congress Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula praised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s White House visit on Thursday, describing it as “mission accomplished” after Trump confronted the South African leader with videos and false claims of “white genocide” during their Oval Office meeting on Wednesday.

Mbalula congratulated the South African delegation for representing the country and “putting the record straight” following the meeting with Trump. The ANC leader defended the visit despite criticism of how the meeting unfolded.

“I think we may want to characterise yesterday as a mission accomplished because many things have been said about SA,” Mbalula stated. “It took the head of state to go to the White House to sit down with President Trump and to put the record straight for the first time face to face, and the President must be applauded for that.”

During the Wednesday meeting, Trump dimmed the Oval Office lights to play videos featuring opposition politician Julius Malema singing the apartheid-era song “Kill the Boer” and images he claimed showed graves of murdered white farmers. Ramaphosa sat mostly expressionless during the video presentation, occasionally craning his neck to look at the screen.

Ramaphosa explained that the videos of Malema, a populist who was expelled from the African National Congress party, did not represent government policy. The South African president firmly rejected Trump’s allegations, stating “There is just no genocide in South Africa”.

The confrontation drew praise for Ramaphosa’s diplomacy from South African leaders like Mbalula, though the Economic Freedom Fighters criticised his delegation’s handling of the genocide myth.

Mbalula also defended the composition of Ramaphosa’s delegation, which included white South African businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. The ANC Secretary-General explained that the US President requested these men be part of the delegation that met with him in the Oval Office.

“He is doing it for his country, he is not doing it for himself to protect the interests of South Africans,” Mbalula said of Ramaphosa’s approach. “And I think yesterday, resetting the button meant that the diplomatic channels would actually be opened. So it’s a great achievement for South Africa.”

The meeting took place amid severely strained US-South Africa relations. In February 2025, Trump issued an executive order cutting $440 million in funding to South Africa and granted refugee status to 59 Afrikaners, with 49 arriving in the US on 11 May 2025.

Trump has repeatedly claimed white farmers are having their land taken, despite the fact that South African authorities have not confiscated any farms under new laws that allow for expropriation without compensation in rare circumstances. Whites, who account for about 7% of the country’s population, still own 70% of commercial farmland.

While South Africa does suffer from high crime rates, Black people bear the brunt of violent crime, with police statistics showing 12 murders linked to farming communities in the last quarter of 2024, including farm workers who were likely Black. Official data shows 26,232 murders nationwide in 2024, with only 44 linked to farming communities.

Despite the confrontational atmosphere, Ramaphosa later emphasised trade outcomes, announcing discussions on critical minerals and US liquefied natural gas imports. The US is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, making the relationship crucial for the country’s struggling economy.

Mbalula previously stressed the economic stakes, asking “If AGOA goes, how many jobs will go, especially in terms of the automotive industry in South Africa?” referring to the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade agreement.

The meeting was reminiscent of Trump’s February confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with observers noting it could deter other foreign leaders from White House visits given Trump’s pattern of public confrontations.

Trump has threatened to skip the November 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa unless the alleged “genocide” is addressed, testing Pretoria’s resolve as the country holds the G20 presidency.

The ANC maintains that South Africa’s transformation journey continues within democratic and constitutional frameworks, rejecting claims of persecution against any racial group.