President John Dramani Mahama has denounced U.S. President Donald Trump for his baseless allegations against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, labeling them as profoundly offensive to the African populace and a misrepresentation of historical facts.
In an opinion article, President Mahama criticized Trump’s claim of “white genocide” in South Africa, which was made during a discussion between the two leaders at the White House.
Mahama contended that these assertions overlook the legacy of colonization and apartheid, during which millions of Black South Africans endured systemic oppression, displacement, and death.
“It is insufficient to be offended by these assertions, or to dismiss them lightly as falsehoods,” Mahama wrote. “These remarks exemplify how language can be utilized to perpetuate the consequences of past injustices.”
He emphasized that the repercussions of apartheid cannot simply be negated by declaring it over, especially when no tangible reparative measures have been implemented.
Despite the conclusion of apartheid, Mahama highlighted that the overwhelming majority of South Africa’s wealth continues to be concentrated in the hands of a small white minority, and racially exclusive communities such as Orania and Kleinfontein still exist openly.
Mahama, reflecting on his own experiences of anti-apartheid activism in Ghana during his youth, recalled the pan-African solidarity that once characterized the continent’s resistance to colonial and racist regimes. He referenced the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the Soweto uprising of 1976 as significant and painful events in a collective history of African resistance.
“If Black South Africans had wished to take revenge on Afrikaners, they would have certainly done so long ago,” Mahama remarked, rejecting Trump’s claims as unfounded and provocative. He questioned why, if Afrikaners genuinely feared for their safety, they had not relocated to areas like Orania where white separatism is practiced.
Mahama also charged Trump with exploiting misinformation, pointing to the use of irrelevant images—some originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo—as purported evidence of violence directed at white individuals in South Africa.
He stated that President Ramaphosa had been misled and misrepresented, despite his insistence that his administration did not endorse racial discrimination.
Citing both Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mahama emphasized the significance of memory, truth, and historical justice in fostering a peaceful future. He cautioned that neglecting or distorting Africa’s history threatens to sustain cycles of violence and marginalization.
“Our world is facing a genuine crisis,” he concluded. “Authentic refugees are being denied assistance, real genocides are occurring in real-time… and yet we must squander our breath on falsehoods that dishonor our history and hinder our advancement.
