Mr Ramaphosa kept his cool. But the episode underlined Donald Trump’s warped views of South Africa—and how hard it will be to change them. The Trump administration has cut aid to Africa’s largest economy and seems set to cancel the preferential trade terms enjoyed by South Africa (and many other countries in the continent).

Donald Trump put his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, on the spot during his visit to the Oval Office this week with a list of claims about the deaths of white farmers - claims which Mr Ramaphosa countered and put into context.

JOHANNESBURG -South Africans praised President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday for keeping his cool amid U.S. President Donald Trump's false claims of a white genocide in their country, but wondered why their leader had made the trip to Washington.