WATCH: ‘Dim the lights’ — Ramaphosa pokes fun at Trump meeting

“Dim the lights”, United States President Donald Trump instructed an aide during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office in the White House last week.

With a line of reporters in the room, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa by playing a video of EFF leader Julius Malema — theatrically, almost like a Bond villain — startling those present with footage he believed supported his claims of an alleged white genocide against farmers.

Although Ramaphosa and his delegation watched in stunned silence at the time, the South African president later poked fun at the moment during his keynote address at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, held at the Century City Convention Centre on Tuesday.

‘Dim the lights’

Ramaphosa took the stage at the symposium with a wry smile on his face.

“So, when I came in, I saw the room going a bit dark. They darkened the room, and for a moment, I wondered, What is this? It’s happening to me again,” the president chuckled.

“Because at that moment, we were seated very nicely, and I was beginning to get into a groove of you know interacting with this man, and I suddenly hear him say ‘dim the lights’ [Ramaphosa laughs]. I must say a number of people have said, ‘this was an ambush,’” Ramaphosa said.

WATCH President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking about that moment in the White House with President Donald Trump.

'Dim the lights', President Cyril Ramaphosa pokes fun about his meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington last week. #CyrilRamaphosa #DonaldTrump Vid: Newzroom Afrika @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/kASpO91Lyu

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) May 27, 2025

ALSO READ: Trump changes tune and ‘agrees’ to participate in G20 Summit, Ramaphosa says

‘What’s happening?’

Ramaphosa said he was “bemused”.

“I was bemused, I was saying what’s happening [Ramaphosa laughs]. So, when I saw Clement [Manyatela], I said this guy could have rolled in all this, he’s repeating what he experienced,” Ramaphosa laughed.

Last week, Ramaphosa said his visit to the Oval Office and meeting with Trump was a major success, despite the US President’s ambush.

“We were able to have a robust engagement with Trump, and it was also good to have a number of members of the delegation to field either a number of questions or make comments. So, that, in my view, it was really good”.

Ramaphosa said he had a good working lunch with Trump and his officials after the open bilateral talks.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Donald Trump ambushes Cyril Ramaphosa in Oval Office