"South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned against misinformation that he said is deliberately 'painting a false picture' of South Africa as a deeply divided society, during a keynote address marking Day of Reconciliation at the Ncome Museum in Nquthu on Tuesday. “There are those who are trying their utmost to paint a false picture of us as the South African people,” Ramaphosa told the gathering. “They do not want to talk about the friendships, neighbourliness and kindness shown by black and white towards each other.” He said such narratives ignore evidence that many South Africans believe race relations have improved since the end of apartheid. “They do not tell us that the majority of South Africans believe that race relations in our country have improved since 1994. They do not show the pictures of African, white, Indian and Coloured children learning together, standing together and playing together,” he continued. Ramaphosa stressed that unity must be protected as the country continues its nation-building process. “As we continue and together build our nation as South Africans, there will be no one who will be able to plant the seed of discrimination and exclusiveness amongst us,” he said. The president said that open dialogue remains essential in tackling the country’s challenges, including poverty, inequality, crime, corruption and gender-based violence. “We must not try to hide our differences. We must speak about them and continue to work to bridge them,” Ramaphosa said. His remarks come amid heightened international scrutiny, following claims by US President Donald Trump that a so-called 'white genocide' is taking place against Afrikaner farmers. Trump has cited these allegations in justifying an executive order freezing US aid to South Africa and prioritising white South Africans for refugee status. The South African government has firmly rejected the claims, saying farm-related violence affects all communities, including black landowners. Opposition lawmakers have warned that aid cuts based on 'false narratives' could endanger lives by disrupting critical health programmes. The Ncome Museum commemorates the Battle of Ncome on December 16, 1838, when thousands of Zulu warriors died defending their land. The date is now observed nationally as the Day of Reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa."