Steenhuisen joins Ramaphosa's US visit to counter 'white genocide' claims and save ties

DA leader, John Steenhuisen, will be part of the delegation by President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit US President Donald Trump to mend relations and also clarify the misinformation about the government targeting white Afrikaners.

The South African delegation is set to meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday, aiming to restore bilateral ties and confront persistent misinformation about alleged government persecution of white Afrikaners.

The high-level engagement comes amid escalating tensions sparked by the recent defection of 49 Afrikaners to the United States, who were granted refugee status based on claims of racial persecution.

Key issues expected to dominate the bilateral discussions include SA–US trade relations and the broader context of domestic race and immigration policies.

In a statement, Steenhuisen, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, said his priority list will be securing trade relations between the US and SA, particularly in agriculture, to protect jobs, grow the economy, and expand employment opportunities.

“South Africa's relationship with the US is one of immense importance. Preferential trade agreements such as AGOA contribute significantly to our economy. Losing these benefits would be disastrous for farmers, farm workers, and the economy at large,” he said.

Steenhuisen emphasised that the relationship between the two nations needed to be resolved and strengthened.

“As a proud member of this GNU delegation, I will endeavour to ensure every effort is made to mend and improve relations between the US and SA,” he said.

Concerns have been raised by some analysts that Ramaphosa's three-day visit would not go as planned and could even get contentious.

The false narrative put up by the Trump administration that Afrikaner farmers are being singled out is frustrating South African officials more and more.

Claims of a "white genocide" in South Africa are unsupported by reliable crime data or independent studies; international observers have extensively refuted these claims.