Recently, during a meeting at the White House, former President Donald Trump presented what he referred to as “burial sites” for over 1,000 white farmers in South Africa to President Cyril Ramaphosa. His claim was backed by footage of a road lined with white crosses along with vehicles, which he asserted were evidence of this situation.
However, a report from the New York Times revealed that the video footage actually came from a memorial for a white couple murdered in South Africa. This procession occurred near Newcastle on September 5, 2020, as noted in a local news source that described the event with the phrase, “The procession to the Normandians is stretching miles.” The couple had been killed in late August of that year.
Interestingly, the crosses displayed were part of the memorial setup, not graves for farmers, and reports indicated that they were removed after the event. Additional video evidence showed people arranging these white crosses, and Google Street View images from 2023 confirm they are no longer in place.
This assertion was part of Trump’s argument regarding purported racial persecution faced by white South Africans. White House representatives informed the Times that each cross symbolized a murdered white farmer, but there was no concrete reasoning behind Trump’s statement about them being burial sites. Notably, Elon Musk also shared this video on social media.
These white crosses have come to symbolize individuals murdered in the agricultural community. Despite ongoing protests against the killings of white farmers, there remains a significant debate about the portrayal of violence in South Africa. While the nation does indeed grapple with high murder rates, data indicates that white South Africans are not disproportionately targeted by violent crime. It’s also important to note that the situation doesn’t meet the UN’s criteria for “genocide,” which necessitates evidence of widespread murder or harm, a condition not substantiated in South Africa. Additionally, the country’s Agriculture Minister is white.
