(3 Minutes Read)
Trump presented a video montage and a stack of printed news articles to support his long-standing accusation that white South African farmers are being systematically murdered and forced off their land. He went so far as to accuse the South African government of enacting racist policies and enabling land seizures.
White South Africans living in the quiet coastal town of Noordhoek have dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of a so-called “white genocide” in their country, calling his remarks uninformed, exaggerated, and dangerous.
Trump made the controversial comments during a high-profile meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House earlier this week. In an unexpected turn, Trump presented a video montage and a stack of printed news articles to support his long-standing accusation that white South African farmers are being systematically murdered and forced off their land. He went so far as to accuse the South African government of enacting racist policies and enabling land seizures.
Ramaphosa firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as a distortion of the facts and a misrepresentation of the country’s complex reality. He reiterated that crime in South Africa affects all races and that no government policy targets white citizens.
Residents of Noordhoek — a predominantly white town located in the Cape Peninsula — echoed Ramaphosa’s remarks in interviews with China Central Television (CCTV), expressing both disbelief and frustration over Trump’s statements. Many in the community emphasised that crime affects all South Africans, regardless of race or background.
The Noordhoek interviews present a stark contrast to the narrative promoted by Trump and some right-wing commentators in the United States, who have seized on reports of farm attacks to paint a picture of white persecution in South Africa. However, data from the South African government and independent analysts consistently show that farm attacks, while a serious issue, are part of broader patterns of violent crime that do not discriminate based on race.
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For residents of Noordhoek, the image painted by Trump is not only inaccurate but potentially harmful to the country’s ongoing efforts toward social cohesion and reconciliation.
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