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South Africa’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has firmly dismissed allegations of a so-called “white genocide” in the country, citing official crime statistics that show no racial targeting in farm-related murders. The statement comes amid renewed controversy following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently claimed that white South African farmers were being persecuted and murdered in large numbers, a narrative South African officials say is misleading and unsupported by facts.
Addressing the media in Pretoria, Minister Mchunu said that data from the South African Police Service (SAPS) categorically disproves any notion of racially motivated attacks against white citizens, particularly farmers. According to crime statistics from the first quarter of 2025 (January to March), six people were murdered in farm-related incidents five of them were Black South Africans, including two farm owners, two employees, and a manager. Only one white person was killed during that period. In the preceding quarter (October to December 2024), there were 12 farm murders recorded, with just one white victim among them.
“These figures clearly indicate that farm attacks are not racially motivated but part of the broader crime problem that affects all South Africans,” Mchunu said. “It is wholly inaccurate and irresponsible to frame this violence as genocide against one racial group.”
The issue escalated after President Trump presented a video during a recent diplomatic exchange with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The video featured rows of white crosses on a hillside, which Trump claimed represented mass graves of white farmers killed in racially motivated attacks. However, the footage was later verified as being from a peaceful protest in 2020 held in the town of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, in memory of a murdered farming couple. The white crosses were symbolic and not actual graves.
Local officials from Newcastle and the South African government expressed disappointment over the video’s misuse, labeling it disinformation. “These crosses were erected to symbolize the need for unity against crime not to stir racial panic,” said a Newcastle municipality representative.
The United Nations Human Rights Office also condemned the invocation of the term “genocide,” calling it “deeply irresponsible and factually inaccurate.” The office reiterated that while farm crimes are a serious concern, they must be addressed within the context of South Africa’s broader criminal landscape and not framed as ethnic or racial cleansing.
Minister Mchunu urged international observers to rely on verified data and consult credible sources. “We respect the United States and its leadership,” he said, “but such narratives do not help us combat the real issues of crime and inequality in our society. They only sow division.”
South Africa continues to face challenges related to violent crime, poverty, and social inequality problems rooted in the country’s complex history and not exclusive to any racial or economic group. The government has pledged to improve rural safety and increase police presence in crime hotspots, including farming areas.
Experts also warn that the perpetuation of “white genocide” claims often circulated by right-wing groups internationally undermines efforts to build national cohesion and distracts from much-needed policy solutions that address crime holistically.
As the political fallout from Trump’s comments continues to stir international debate, South African authorities are calling for a focus on unity, fact-based dialogue, and support for the country’s efforts to tackle crime without racial bias or misinformation.
