Steenhuisen: 'Lunch was wonderful; Melania was not there'
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen shared what it was like the day he, President Ramaphosa, and other cabinet ministers and high-profile guests visited the White House to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In May, President Cyril Ramaphosa, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen visited U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
READ: New first-of-its-kind Woolies store opens
The meeting focused primarily on farm murders, but also touched on resetting bilateral relations, reshaping economic cooperation, and opening new doors for trade and investment aligned with South Africa's development priorities.
They were joined by billionaire businessman Johann Rupert and golfing legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
During the meeting, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa with a video intended to support unfounded claims of the "persecution" of white farmers.
READ: Police arrest suspect after high-speed chase and shootout
The 4-minute, 30-second video—played during the meeting and widely circulated on social media in recent weeks—was presented by Trump as evidence of what he called a campaign to kill white farmers, which he described as a "genocide."
However, the video was riddled with falsehoods.
One clip shows white crosses erected along a winding road, with dozens of cars and trucks lined up nearby.
"These are burial sites," Trump said. "Those cars are... stopped to pay respect to their family members who were killed."
READ: DA to lay criminal charges against Mchunu
In reality, the footage is from a 2020 protest in Normandien, where crosses were placed along a rural road following the murder of a local farming couple. According to press reports and videos from the time, the crosses were symbolic and did not mark actual graves.
The perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022.
In the first episode of the DA Podcast, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen spoke about the White House meeting—and the lunch that followed.
"We went into that meeting agreeing that only the President [Ramaphosa] would speak. We were just there to provide support. And then the President threw the ball to me," he recalled.
READ: Macpherson: Criminal charges needed for George building collapse
"None of us were expecting that video," Steenhuisen continued.
"The lunch was wonderful. It was warm and engaging. It was a simple meal. It was chicken, vegetable and rice. It went really well."
"Melania [the First Lady] was not there."
Watch the full podcast here:
Steenhuisen also mentioned that the Oval Office is not that big.
"It's actually small."
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media: