JOHANNESBURG – EFF leader Julius Malema has dismissed the Oval Office meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump as a gathering of “older men” gossiping about him, while rejecting the notion of any compromise on the party’s stance on land reform.
Malema, reacting on Thursday via his verified X account, wrote: “A group of older men meet in Washington to gossip about me. No significant amount of intelligence evidence has been produced about white genocide. We will not agree to compromise our political principles on land expropriation without compensation for political expediency.”
His response comes just hours after Trump hosted Ramaphosa at the White House in a meeting overshadowed by Trump’s airing of a video claiming persecution of White South Africans — footage which included clips of Malema and was later shared on the official White House social media account.
During the meeting, Trump accused the South African government of targeting its White minority population — a claim repeatedly denied by Pretoria. Ramaphosa, seemingly surprised by the video presentation, challenged Trump’s assertions and defended his administration’s commitment to racial equity.
A group of older men meet in Washington to gossip about me. No significant amount of intelligence evidence has been produced about white genocide. We will not agree to compromise our political principles on land expropriation without compensation for political expediency.
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) May 21, 2025
Malema’s name and political messaging featured prominently in the video presented by Trump, with the far-left leader often portrayed by critics as advocating aggressive land redistribution policies. His party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, has long campaigned for land expropriation without compensation, arguing it is necessary to address centuries of colonial dispossession.
The U.S. meeting, initially scheduled to focus on trade relations, has drawn global attention for its confrontational tone and Trump’s push to frame South Africa as hostile to its White citizens. The South African government has maintained there is no evidence to support claims of genocide or systematic persecution.
Malema, never one to shy away from controversy, used the moment to reinforce the EFF’s ideological position on land reform and to rebuke the political theatre unfolding abroad.
The EFF is South Africa’s third-largest political party and continues to grow its support base among young, radical voters dissatisfied with the pace of economic transformation.
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