Mbabane – A video used by former US President Donald Trump to paint South Africa as unsafe for white farmers has drawn criticism for spreading misleading visuals and false claims during a surprise ambush of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump, known for his controversial takes on race and immigration, played a video montage for guests in the Oval Office featuring incendiary political footage from South Africa. Included in the mix were campaign clips of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and a scene of former President Jacob Zuma singing a liberation struggle song about chasing away “boers.”
One part of the video featured a winding road lined with hundreds of white crosses, which Trump described as “burial sites” for murdered white South African farmers. “Each one of those white things you see is a cross. They’re all white farmers and the families of white farmers,” Trump said.
However, the video’s origin tells a different story.
The footage was from a 2020 protest in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, following the murder of Glen and Vida Rafferty, who were gunned down at the entrance to their farm. The white crosses were part of a peaceful demonstration by local volunteers, not gravesites, as Trump claimed. According to the Newcastle Advertiser, the procession was part of the MoveOneMillion campaign, created to draw attention to violent crimes in rural areas.
The video was initially posted by a right-wing commentator on social media and later reshared by Trump’s team to reinforce claims of a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa.
South African crime statistics paint a broader picture. While advocacy group AfriForum reported 364 farm murders over six years — averaging roughly 60 per year — overall murder rates are far higher. Between October and December 2024, South African police recorded nearly 7,000 murders across the country, averaging 75 per day.
🚨 JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/rER1l8sqAU
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025
EFF leaders rejected Trump’s portrayal but turned their criticism toward President Ramaphosa, accusing him of failing to push back against the distorted narrative. “Ramaphosa denounced a liberation song upheld by South Africa’s highest courts and failed to defend the nation,” the party said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Mbabane-based analysts say the incident could damage perceptions of South Africa on the global stage, and shows how racial tensions in the country are often weaponised for international political gain.
President Trump always brings the receipts. 🧾🧾🧾 pic.twitter.com/lokUUwqglP
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025
Freedom Front Plus MP Wynand Boshoff weighed in, calling for the end of liberation songs like “Kill the Boer” and for farm murders to be classified as priority crimes. While acknowledging that murder rates are high across the country, Boshoff said the often-brutal nature of attacks on farmers continues to spark fear and outrage.
President Ramaphosa, during his White House visit, maintained that efforts were underway to ensure the safety of all South Africans, but conceded that more still needed to be done.
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