South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed allegations that white people are being persecuted in his country, calling it a “completely false narrative.”
His remarks came in response to claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and some white minority groups in South Africa.
Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, has repeatedly accused the black-led government of being anti-white.
Over the weekend, he stated on social media that certain political figures in South Africa are “actively promoting white genocide.”
In his weekly address, Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to allow “external events to divide us or pit us against each other.” He specifically rejected the notion that any racial or cultural group in South Africa is being systematically targeted for persecution.
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Ramaphosa did not mention specific names, but his comments were a direct response to claims from Trump and others that South Africa’s government is mistreating Afrikaners—a white minority group—by encouraging violent farm attacks and enacting policies to confiscate their land.
These concerns were central to an executive order issued by Trump last month, which cut U.S. funding to South Africa as a punitive measure while offering Afrikaners refugee status in the United States.
Afrikaners, who are descendants of Dutch and French settlers from over 300 years ago, played a central role in the apartheid regime, which enforced racial segregation until 1994. Since then, South Africa has made significant strides in reconciliation among its diverse racial groups.
Musk cited a political rally held last Friday where leaders of the far-left opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), sang “Kill the Boer, the farmer,” a controversial chant historically linked to resistance against apartheid. “Boer” is a term for Afrikaners.
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Musk posted a video of the rally on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Very few people know that there is a major political party in South Africa that actively promotes white genocide.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in, condemning the song as “a chant that incites violence.” He called on South African leaders to take immediate steps to protect Afrikaners and other “disadvantaged minorities.”
The EFF, South Africa’s fourth-largest political party, won 9.5% of the vote in the last national elections. It has faced repeated scrutiny for stirring racial tensions and for continuing to sing the controversial song.
While the chant was previously ruled hate speech and banned by a court more than a decade ago, a 2022 ruling found that it does not constitute hate speech under current law and is protected by freedom of expression.
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The EFF maintains that the chant is part of the country’s historical struggle and should not be taken literally, sometimes altering the lyrics to “kiss the Boer.”
Since Trump’s executive order, the South African government has sought to counter claims that white farmers are being disproportionately targeted. While farm attacks do occur, experts say there is no credible evidence that white South Africans face an organized campaign of violence.
According to police statistics, there were 6,953 homicides in South Africa between October and December of last year. An Afrikaner advocacy group has alleged that farm homicides are sometimes underreported, claiming eight such killings during that period, while police recorded only one.
Despite the high crime rate affecting all racial groups, concerns over misinformation continue to shape the debate around race relations and security in South Africa.
