South African leaders have pushed back sharply after US President Donald Trump repeated claims that white South Africans are facing a “genocide”. The remarks were made during a rally in Arizona on Friday, where Trump said his administration had allowed “persecuted South Africans” into the United States as refugees.

Trump claimed white people in South Africa were being killed because of their race. But the same report notes that there is no credible evidence or official crime data to back up that allegation. It also states that Trump has repeated similar claims in speeches since his re-election.

Magwenya Says South Africa Remains Undeterred

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya rejected the claims and said South Africa remains focused on its own path. In response, he said the country knows its painful past, appreciates the present and is defining its future while remaining “rational and undeterred”.

Magwenya’s response signalled a firm rejection from the Presidency without escalating the rhetoric further. His remarks framed South Africa as steady and clear-eyed in the face of what the article describes as renewed misinformation around crime and race in the country.

Mbalula Calls Remarks Racist and Misleading

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also condemned Trump’s comments. He said the message behind the claim paints black people as violent and lawless, and argued that it repeats racist stereotypes. Mbalula said there is “no genocide against white people in South Africa” and described the narrative as distortion, disinformation and racist branding.

He also said he would continue challenging the claim whenever it is raised. That response shows how seriously senior ANC figures view the issue, especially as the “white genocide” narrative continues to draw international attention despite the lack of supporting evidence in South Africa’s crime statistics.

The clash matters because Trump’s words reach a global audience and can shape how South Africa is viewed abroad. For local leaders, pushing back is not just about politics. It is about challenging a false and harmful narrative with facts. Based on the source article, that remains the core of South Africa’s response.