South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to take South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen with him to his meeting with President Donald Trump.
Ramaphosa will visit Trump, an avid golfer, at the White House on Wednesday amid high tensions between South Africa and the United States as they discuss points of contention, including trade between the two countries and the classification of Afrikaans people as refugees.
Why It Matters
The relationship between the two countries has made headlines recently over the U.S.’s assertion that Afrikaners in South Africa are victims of a “white genocide” who need refugee status, something Ramaphosa has denied.
There are other flashpoints between the U.S. and South Africa, including South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its relationship with Russia, Iran and China.
South Africa was placed under one of Trump’s harshest tariff categories (31 percent) on Liberation Day. The tariff was reduced to 10 percent, but faces being hiked up again in July.
Ramaphosa is in Washington to work on a new trade deal, one that he seemingly hopes golfers Els and Goosen will help to secure.
What To Know
Els and Goosen are expected to join Ramaphosa and Trump for their meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Els, who has won four of golf’s major championships and has met and golfed with Trump, “was actually the person who was the driving force behind convincing U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with South Africa,” South African billionaire Johann Rupert told News24.
The White House said Rupert, who has known Trump since 1996, and South African-born Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk will attend the meeting. Goosen, who has won two U.S. Opens, will also be there, according to South African broadcaster eNCA.
Trump requested that Rupert, Els and Goosen accompany Ramaphosa, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula told Newzroom Afrika.
What People Are Saying
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on May 17: “There’s no genocide in South Africa. That is a fact that’s borne out of a lot of evidence.”
“I’m not worried about anything. We’re going there to discuss trade and our bilateral relations and that’s what we’re going to discuss,” he said. “It’s country to country and we trade with each other, so we have to relate to each other.”
“We are going to have good discussions on trade,” he added.
White House deputy chief of staff and Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller recently told reporters: “What’s happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created. This is race-based persecution. The refugee program is not intended as a solution for global poverty, and historically, it has been used that way.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter: “South African President Ramaphosa is in Washington, DC, seeking a reset after President Trump repeatedly and rightly criticized South Africa for human rights violations and activities that undermine our national security. Ramaphosa is pivoting toward China and taking an aggressive position attacking Israel at the International Court of Justice, where he is pushing for precedents and policies that will not just undermine Israel but also expose American officials to vulnerabilities.”
“I have every confidence that President Trump will demand South African officials change their policies, and will hold them accountable if they don’t,” he added.
What Happens Next
Ramaphosa and the rest of his delegation will meet Trump at 11:30 a.m. for a working lunch before a bilateral meeting, which will include addressing the media at 12:45 p.m.
South African media has voiced concerns that Ramaphosa may be walking into what the Daily Maverick has called a “Zelensky-style ambush,” referring to the viral clash that took place when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House in February.
But Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, has said the government is “not worried about any potential hostile reception.”
“There is a level of decorum and courtesy that heads of states extend to one another,” Magwenya added.
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