By Our Reporter
Claims by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a supposed genocide targeting White farmers in South Africa have been debunked by multiple media outlets, including CNN. A fact-check by the network revealed no evidence supporting allegations of targeted racial killings.
While South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of violent crime, official statistics show that attacks on farmers—regardless of race—constitute a tiny fraction of the country’s overall murder rate. Between April and December 2024, South Africa recorded 19,696 murders, according to official police data. Of these, only 36 victims, or about 0.2%, were associated with farms or agricultural holdings. Just seven of the victims were identified as farmers. The remainder were farm employees, most of whom are believed to be Black.
Farmer advocacy groups also report that killings on farms number in the dozens each year—again, a negligible portion of the national total. Importantly, the official data do not specify the race of the victims, underscoring the broader context of violent crime rather than targeted racial violence.
According to the United Nations, genocide involves acts such as murder or inflicting serious harm “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” CNN noted that there is no evidence the South African government, whose current agriculture minister is White, has engaged in or permitted any such actions.
Despite these facts, President Trump earlier this year granted refugee status to approximately 59 White South Africans based on allegations of genocide. The move sparked international controversy and led to a high-level meeting on May 21, 2025, between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Trump at the White House.
During the meeting, Trump presented printouts and a video montage claiming to show evidence of killings and demonstrations in South Africa. President Ramaphosa reportedly viewed the footage with skepticism, stating he did not recognize the location shown and committed to investigating whether the rally actually took place in South Africa.
Trump also accused the South African government of enacting a racially motivated land expropriation law, suggesting it was linked to violence against White farmers. In fact, the 2025 law signed by Ramaphosa aims to redress historical land inequality stemming from apartheid. The law allows land expropriation without compensation under specific conditions—such as when land is abandoned or unused for speculative purposes—and applies to all racial groups.
A 2017 report cited by CNN found that White individuals still owned 72% of South Africa’s individually held farms and agricultural holdings. The government has stated that land reform is essential to address persistent racial disparities in ownership.
Despite Trump’s claims, the South African government has emphasized that no land has been seized without compensation. The chief executive of a major trade association for South African farmers clarified: “To be clear, no seizures or confiscations of private property have taken place. Nor has any land been expropriated without compensation. Isolated cases of land grabs and trespassing have been dealt with appropriately.”
South African authorities continue efforts to curb violent crime, which remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges. However, there is no evidence to suggest that such crimes are racially motivated, especially since the fall of apartheid more than three decades ago.
With additional report from YahooNews!