Ramaphosa called on South Africans to fight back against such false narratives.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to focus on nation-building efforts rather than false narratives about the country.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the national commemoration of Reconciliation Day at the Ncome Museum in Nquthu, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday.
The country commemorated the day amid false claims of a genocide and persecution of Afrikaners propagated by US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
As a result, the Trump administration has designed a programme to facilitate the immigration and resettlement of Afrikaners as refugees in the US.
Ramaphosa called on South Africans to fight back against such false narratives.
“There are those, inside and outside our country, who are trying their utmost to paint a false picture of us as the South African people,” said Ramaphosa.
“They do not tell us what the surveys say: that the majority of South Africans are hopeful about the state of our democracy. They do not tell us that the majority of South Africans believe race relations have improved since 1994.
“These people do not show the pictures of African, white, Indian and coloured children learning together, studying together and playing together.
“They do not want to talk about the friendships, neighbourliness and kindness shown by black and white towards each other.
“They don’t want to play all the social media clips we are seeing of young Afrikaners in veldskoens dancing to amapiano, and white teenagers speaking fluent isiZulu with their friends.
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“Our country’s detractors are not talking about successful land restitution, of communities sharing the land and of successful black farmers.
“Instead, they are painting a false picture designed to sow fear and hatred. We must not let them succeed in their efforts.”
Ramaphosa on SA challenges
While the president highlighted some positives about the country, he also conceded that the country still faced challenges such as poverty, crime and gender-based violence.
“For as long as the majority of black South Africans live in poverty, for as long as inequality persists, our country will not find true reconciliation.
Our pursuit of inclusive economic growth and job creation, our efforts to reduce poverty and bring down the cost of living, are essential for reconciliation,” said Ramaphosa.
“We cannot be reconciled as a people if our communities are terrorised by criminals and deprived of what is due to them by corrupt officials.
“We cannot build a nation that is at peace with itself for as long as violence against women and children continues.”
He called on men to stand up against the abuse of women and children.
“In many of our cultures and traditions, an offence against a woman was not permissible. It was deemed disrespectful to the entire family,” said Ramaphosa.
“Killing a woman was an abomination. Not only did such a killing take her life, but the lives of all the children she was still going to give birth to.
“What are we going to tell our forefathers about the blood of women we shed daily?
“Real men do not abuse women and children. Real men protect women and children. Let us work together for a better South Africa, which belongs to all who live in it, black and white, men and women, young and old. May God bless South Africa and protect its people.”
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