OF SONGS, STATESMANSHIP, AND STRATEGIC LAPSES: A disturbing reflection on the Oval Office encounter
By Zamikhaya Maseti:
U.S. President, Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
I could not sleep well last night. A peculiar restlessness gripped my spirit after watching the televised meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald J. Trump in the hallowed confines of the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. The initial Diplomatic Choreography unfolded with the kind of stiffness and performative politeness that characterises most bilateral meetings. But just when the South African delegation was easing into the rhythm of State Diplomacy, the unexpected happened: the ghost of a liberation song "Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer" was abruptly summoned into the room by President Trump, weaponised with precision and intent.
This was no accidental provocation. It was a calculated amb...