President John Dramani Mahama has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump for making what he described as “deeply offensive and historically inaccurate” accusations against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mahama criticised Trump’s “white genocide” claim, calling it a dangerous distortion of Africa’s painful past and a disservice to the continent’s ongoing struggle for equity.

In an opinion piece, Mahama responded to Trump’s assertion—made during a meeting at the White House—that white South Africans were victims of a genocidal campaign.

He dismissed the remarks as inflammatory and baseless, warning that such rhetoric disrespects Africa’s historical struggles against colonialism and apartheid.

“These statements are not simply untrue,” Mahama wrote. “They are an extension of historical injustice, dressed in the language of modern misinformation.”

He underscored the brutal legacy of apartheid, under which millions of Black South Africans were systemically oppressed, displaced, and dehumanised. For Mahama, dismissing this history by falsely accusing post-apartheid South Africa of reverse racism is not only offensive but dangerous.

“Even decades after apartheid, the vast majority of wealth in South Africa remains concentrated in the hands of a small white minority,” he noted. “Racially segregated communities like Orania and Kleinfontein still exist and operate openly.”

Recalling his own youth in Ghana during the anti-apartheid era, Mahama spoke of the continent-wide solidarity against racist regimes. He cited tragic events like the 1960 Sharpeville massacre and the 1976 Soweto uprising as key moments in Africa’s long resistance against racial oppression.

“Had Black South Africans wanted vengeance, they had decades of opportunity,” he argued. “Instead, they chose reconciliation. To suggest otherwise is to deny their moral courage.”

Mahama went on to accuse President Trump of spreading deliberate misinformation, pointing out that many of the images used to support claims of anti-white violence in South Africa were not even taken there—some reportedly originated from conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He defended President Ramaphosa, stating that Trump had ambushed him with falsehoods and misrepresented his government’s policies. Ramaphosa, Mahama added, had been clear in rejecting any form of racial discrimination.

Quoting Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mahama emphasised that honest reflection and historical truth are vital for peace. He warned that misrepresenting Africa’s past only serves to fuel new divisions.

“Our world is in real crisis,” he concluded. “There are real genocides happening in real time, real refugees turned away at borders—yet we’re forced to confront lies that dishonour our past and undermine our collective progress.”

Mahama’s message was a call for both local and global accountability—not just for the words leaders speak, but for the truths they choose to ignore.