Ramaphosa condemns ‘white genocide’ lobbying and warns against language that glorifies killing

President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned groups that promote claims of a “white genocide” abroad and warned that language which glorifies killing or incites hostility is “dangerous and irresponsible.” Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa linked his Heritage Day reflections to recent tensions with Washington after the United States announced visa restrictions in mid‑September.

Heritage Day and constitutional values

Ramaphosa said Heritage Day is about more than celebrating culture: it is about defending the nation’s constitutional values.

“Our greatest inheritance is not only language, tradition or custom, but the values of equality, dignity and non‑racialism. Heritage is not only what we celebrate. It is also what we defend,”

he wrote. He stressed that the choice made in 1994 to build one nation from diverse communities must be renewed daily.

On rhetoric, violence and unity

The president was blunt about the dangers of harmful rhetoric. He said South Africans should not be defined by violence against women, xenophobia or intolerance.

“We cannot allow violence against women to define who we are. The abuse, rape, and killing of women is a stain on our national conscience,”

he wrote, and added that

“Inflammatory statements about foreign nationals are dangerous and irresponsible.”

Critique of overseas lobbying and economic impact

Ramaphosa criticised officials or lobby groups who travel to foreign capitals to spread claims of a “white genocide,” saying such actions are neither responsible nor patriotic at a time when unemployment is high and the country needs to attract investment. He warned that spreading the falsehood of a white genocide can discourage investment.

US visa restrictions and diplomatic strain

The president’s remarks followed a US announcement of visa restrictions in mid‑September. The coverage links that move to broader concerns raised by Washington about race‑based discrimination and uncompensated land seizures.

US envoy’s remarks

US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III described the visa restrictions as “just the beginning” and signalled what he called “America’s firm resolve in this matter.” Bozell outlined a process he said began with an executive order in January 2025 and detailed three broad concerns: attacks on rural farmers, potential effects on investment, and geostrategic and military issues. He also said the US raised specific asks during dialogue through 2025.

Bozell said one of the US requests was for Ramaphosa to condemn the chant “Kill the boer, kill the farmer” as incitement to violence. He also urged vigilance against divisive rhetoric, saying:

“We must guard against words and actions that polarise communities, inflame public opinion and reopen the wounds of our past. Freedom of expression comes with responsibility.”

Refugees and broader context

The coverage notes an earlier change to US refugee policy that, weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term, directed that nearly all refugees admitted to the US would be White South Africans. By late June, more than 7 700 Afrikaners had been admitted, while pathways for other nationalities were largely closed.

Ramaphosa on victimhood and redress

Ramaphosa rejected narratives of systemic persecution of white people and warned that claims of white victimhood threaten post‑apartheid unity. He emphasised that measures to correct past injustices are not equivalent to apartheid oppression, writing:

“There is no moral equivalence between redress and discrimination. There is no equivalence between legitimate, constitutionally grounded measures of redress and the systematic racial oppression of apartheid.”