In a stunning rebuke, South African opposition leader Julius Malema has fired back at former U.S. President Donald Trump for misrepresenting footage of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) during a recent meeting at the White House. Malema, known for his fiery rhetoric, accused Trump of exploiting South African struggles to perpetuate his narrative of a “white genocide,” a claim Long debunked by experts.
In a statement released on social media, Malema dismissed Trump and his associates as “older men gossiping” about him, emphasizing the absence of credible evidence to support their incendiary claims. “I will never be intimidated by America or Donald Trump,” he declared, asserting that if Trump truly wanted answers, he should have invited him to the meeting to discuss the facts directly.
During the White House encounter, Trump pointedly asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa about farmers, implying they were solely white, a notion that Malema vehemently rejected. “Farmers are not just white; I am a farmer myself,” he said, highlighting the diversity of South African agriculture. Malema criticized Ramaphosa for failing to defend the truth, accusing him of cowardice in the face of Trump’s provocations.
Malema further defended the historical context of the EFF’s struggle songs, asserting they are anthems of resistance against systemic oppression, not calls for violence as Trump suggested. “You cannot sanitize our history for the comfort of former colonizers,” he insisted, framing the songs as essential to understanding the ongoing fight for equality in South Africa.
This dramatic exchange underscores the heightened tensions over race and land rights, with Malema positioning himself as a steadfast advocate for the marginalized. As the political battle escalates, the implications of Trump’s comments and Malema’s fierce rebuttal resonate far beyond South Africa, raising critical questions about the legacy of colonialism and the fight for justice.