US President Donald Trump faced fresh controversy on Friday after it was revealed that an image he presented as evidence of white persecution in South Africa was actually taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
During a tense Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, Trump displayed what he claimed were articles proving mass killings of white South Africans.
Reuters news agency later reported that one of the images – purportedly showing white farmers being buried – was a screenshot from a video filmed in the DRC, documenting a mass burial following an attack by anti-government rebels.
The revelation further complicates the already strained relations between South Africa and the US, which have been fraught with disagreements over land reform, foreign policy and race-related narratives since Trump took office in January.
Trump’s claims relied heavily on a video montage shown during the meeting, which included footage he misrepresented as mass graves of white farmers.
Another portion of Trump’s presentation featured clips of firebrand South African opposition politician Julius Malema chanting radical slogans.
Trump wrongly identified Malema as a government official, insinuating that his rhetoric reflected state policy against white South Africans.
Ramaphosa and his delegation refuted Trump’s claims.
The South African president had travelled to Washington in an effort to mend ties between the two nations amid ongoing disputes.
JN/APA