South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged his people to pursue peace and reconciliation despite the country’s long history of colonial and apartheid rule that suppressed the majority Blacks.

Speaking on the Day of Reconciliation on December 16, he said some people at home and abroad are on a mission to foment disunity in the country, but implored citizens not to allow that plotting to succeed.

South Africa’s democracy was built on a foundation of reconciliation since 1994, he observed, but a lot remains to be done in tackling unemployment, poverty, inequality and crime, among other challenges.

In apparent response to US President Donald Trump’s continued claims of South Africa’s “genocide” against Whites, Ramaphosa said evidence on the ground highlights a different picture.

“There are those, inside and outside our country, who are trying their utmost to paint a false picture of us as the South African people,” he said at a museum south-east of the country.

“They do not tell us what the surveys say: that the majority of South Africans are hopeful about the state of our democracy. They do not tell us that the majority of South Africans believe race relations have improved since 1994.  They do not show the pictures of African, white, Indian and Coloured children learning together, studying together and playing together.  — Our country’s detractors are not talking about successful land restitution, of communities sharing the land and of successful black farmers.  Instead, they are painting a false picture designed to sow fear and hatred. We must not let them succeed in their efforts.”

South Africa and the US have been quarrelling since February this year, when Trump signed an executive order cutting aid to Africa’s largest economy for allegedly grabbing White-owned farmland without paying compensation.  He also said Ramaphosa’s administration was committing a “genocide” against the farmers and offered asylum to those who cannot stand the mistreatment.

In March, the US expelled South Africa’s ambassador for allegedly criticising Trump.  Two months later, during Ramaphosa’s visit to the US, Trump showed him what he claimed was evidence of the “genocide,” but fact checkers later established that the visuals did not originate in South Africa. 

In August, the US imposed a 30% tariff on South African exports, the highest tax on any sub-Saharan African nation.

As the tussle continued, the US boycotted the G20 summit that South Africa hosted in late November.  Trump has said he will not invite Ramaphosa to the 2026 summit to be held in Miami, Florida.

In a more recent social media post, Trump alleged that South Africa’s government is “killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them. Perhaps worst of all, the soon-to-be-out-of-business New York Times and the Fake News Media won't issue a word against this genocide”.

Ramaphosa stated that a national dialogue he launched recently must be a platform for his people to resolve their differences.

“By so doing, we will be able to confront the many challenges facing our nation, such as poverty and inequality, crime and corruption, and gender-based violence and femicide,” he stated.

“For as long as the majority of black South Africans live in poverty, for as long as inequality persists, our country will not find true reconciliation.  Our pursuit of inclusive economic growth and job creation, our efforts to reduce poverty and bring down the cost of living, are essential for reconciliation.”