To temper diplomatic tensions, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa will be accompanied by two South African champion golfers when he meets with President Trump on Wednesday.
Joining the South African delegation alongside the typical assortment of cabinet ministers and other aides will be Ernie Els, the former world No. 1 golfer, and the two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen. Both men are well acquainted with Mr. Trump; in 2013, he posted a photograph of himself and Mr. Els to his Facebook page.
Mr. Trump, an avid golfer whose golf resorts are the backbone of his real estate empire, has been known to invoke analogies from the greens in discussing other matters. And Mr. Ramaphosa — whose country has been at loggerheads with the United States for months, including over the granting of asylum to a group of white South Africans who say they are victims of persecution — added Mr. Els and Mr. Goosen to the delegation as a way of seeking common ground.
“They are South African, they know the truth about our country” Vincent Magwenya, Mr. Ramaphosa’s spokesman, said in a text message. “They also have a close relationship with President Trump. Therefore, they’ve been vital in assisting with bridging the gap between the reality in South Africa and President’s Trump own view of the country.”
Mr. Ramaphosa has also invited the billionaire South African businessman Johann Rupert to join him at the White House. Mr. Rupert is the owner of the Swiss luxury house Compagnie Financier Richemont, the parent company of brands that include Cartier and Piaget watches and Montblanc pens.
Mr. Rupert is also South Africa’s richest man and an Afrikaner. Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority — descendants of mainly Dutch settlers — that long dominated South Africa’s politics and ruled during racial apartheid in the 20th century. Mr. Trump has amplified false claims of “genocide” against Afrikaners in the post-apartheid era. Mr. Rupert, who is acquainted with Mr. Trump, is expected to try to convince him to soften his views on the treatment of Afrikaners.
Mr. Trump will be flanked by many who are sympathetic to the claims made by Afrikaners.
Attending the meeting will be Elon Musk, a South Africa native and the world’s richest man, who has led the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to overhaul the federal government. Mr. Musk has been deeply critical of South Africa’s regulations on Black ownership. Also attending will Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who greeted a group of white South Africans welcomed as refugees when they arrived in the United States just over a week ago.
Another celebrated South African golfer, Gary Player, who still practices his swing with Mr. Trump, is said to have been among those who influenced the president’s thinking about the treatment of Afrikaners. Mr. Player has denied discussing the issue with Mr. Trump.
Lynsey Chutel is a Times reporter based in London who covers breaking news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
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