South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa was left embarrassed by his American counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday after the latter showed him videos of influential South African politicians chanting ‘Kill The Boer, Kill the Farmer’. During the meeting, Donald Trump also confronted Ramaphosa about South Africa’s land acquisition bill, which the US President considered evidence of anti-White hatred.
President Trump always brings the receipts. 🧾🧾🧾 pic.twitter.com/lokUUwqglP
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025
The video posted by the official X account of the White House shows South African leaders chanting ‘Kill the Boer, Kill The Farmer’. Boer refers to White people who settled in the African country in previous centuries. The White House’s video carries a compilation of statements by South African leaders which are considered to be genocidal in nature.
There are multiple videos available on social media as well that show Julius Malema, one of the opposition figures in the African country, chanting the same slogan. Huge crowds can be seen chanting the slogan along with him. It was one of the videos that was shown to Cyril Ramaphosa.
Donald Trump playing video footage of South Africa’s black party singing “kill the Boer (Whites), kill the White farmer" in front of the South African president in the Oval Office.
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) May 21, 2025
South African president is very uncomfortable. pic.twitter.com/gTe0MqV2Q8
Origins of ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’
The slogan has its origins in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. It was particularly popular among supporters of the African National Congress (ANC). Nelson Mandela was the president of the ANC from 1991 to 1997. The use of the song after 1994 became extremely controversial.
Despite the controversial nature of the slogan, Julius Malema has continued to extensively use it in his rallies. He is the founder of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a Communist political party in South Africa. Malema also serves as a representative on the Judicial Services Commission in the country’s Parliament.
Fallout from the Trump-Ramaphosa showdown
Julius Malema, who found himself at the centre of the controversy, responded to the events of Wednesday by taking potshots at Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa. He described the meeting as a “group of older men” in Washington to “gossip about me”.
A group of older men meet in Washington to gossip about me. No significant amount of intelligence evidence has been produced about white genocide. We will not agree to compromise our political principles on land expropriation without compensation for political expediency.
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) May 21, 2025
The EFF has described the meeting as an “exhibition of humiliation”. It has also claimed that “Donald Trump set him up”. The EFF also pointed out that the Constitutional Court of Africa has declined to label the slogan ‘hate speech’. In 2022, the Johannesburg High Court had concluded that it is not hate speech and deserves protection under freedom of speech. The Constitutional Court had declined an appeal against the verdict.
Cyril Ramaphosa, on his part, labeled the accusations of anti-White violence and White Genocide as “false and defamatory”. South Africa considers the land acquisition bill as part of its efforts to rewrite the historical wrongs when White Settlers seized vast tracts of arable land from Black residents.
The Elon Musk affect?
Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that there is a ‘White Genocide’ underway in South Africa. They cite the ‘Kill The Boer’ chant as evidence of it. Among the most prominent voices to highlight the plight of White South Africans is Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla. He is also serving as a senior adviser to Donald Trump.
Elon Musk has often voiced his concerns regarding the “White Genocide” in South Africa. In a March 24 tweet, he remarked that, “The legacy media never mentions white genocide in South Africa, because it doesn’t fit their narrative that whites can be victims.” He had also shared a video by Julius Malema labelling it an open call for “White Genocide”.
Openly calling for genocide against white people!! https://t.co/3yfSkDndPJ
— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) February 9, 2025
In another tweet addressing Cyril Ramaphosa directly, Elon Musk had asked him, “Why do you allow this?” In one tweet that goes far back as 2023, addressing Ramaphosa again, Musk asked, “They are openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa. Cyril Ramaphosa, why do you say nothing?”
More recently, only 4 days ahead of the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting, Musk described South African policies as “Apartheid 2.0”. He tweeted at Ramaphosa, demanding that South Africa “repeal the 100+ racist laws that South Africa has passed that discriminate against anyone who is not black!” Musk also suggested that the country should be sanctioned if the laws are not repealed.
The events of Wednesday further reveal the influence that Musk continues to wield in the Trump Administration, despite recent reports of rifts between him and Trump. Being of South African origin himself, Musk has made the welfare of the White Community in the country his flagship issue after DOGE.
