Buffeted by Trump, South Africa's Ramaphosa praised for keeping his cool


FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Facing a barrage of debunked claims from U.S. President Donald Trump that white people were being persecuted in his country, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa remained composed, pushed back politely and even tried to joke with Trump.

Ramaphosa may have drawn on his experience as the African National Congress's lead negotiator in talks that led to the peaceful end of apartheid in 1994 during Wednesday's televised confrontation in the Oval Office.

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