Donald Trump’s Oval Office allegations of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa were strongly rebutted by president Cyril Ramaphosa, highlighting misinformation’s danger around race and crime. Yet the majority of the right-wing Western media has failed to report on it – and those that did, have glorified it.
Donald Trump: more batshit far-right conspiracy theory
In a recent Oval Office meeting, US president Donald Trump made sensational claims regarding South Africa, asserting that a ‘white genocide’ is occurring against the Afrikaner minority.
This assertion was met with strong rebuttal from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who pointed out that the majority of violent crime victims in the country are against Black individuals.
The encounter not only highlighted the dangers of misinformation but also underlined the ongoing dialogues around race, land, and historical injustices in South Africa.
Trump’s allegations, which drew from debunked conspiracy theories popularised by far-right groups, presented a distorted view of South Africa’s reality.
Recent statistics from South African police reveal stark truths: between 2020 and 2024, only eight out of 225 murdered individuals on farms were white farmers. This statistic contradicts the narrative of widespread and targeted violence against white farmers, instead illustrating that the majority of agricultural victims have been Black farm workers, further complicating the simplistic portrayal of victimhood.
Using misinformation
During the meeting, Trump resorted to showing outdated video evidence that has been thoroughly dismissed as misleading. Among these was an image of a burial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, wrongly used as evidence for his claims.
The American publication that originally featured this footage admitted the mistake, yet Trump’s administration continues to perpetuate these inaccuracies. This indicates an alarming trend where narratives disconnected from actual data can influence international relations and perceptions.
Critics argue that such fabrications overshadow pressing issues within South Africa, including persistent inequality, crime rates, and a legacy of apartheid that continues to affect millions. In recent years, land reform, aimed at rectifying historical injustices, has become a priority for the South African government.
Proposals for expropriation without compensation have been presented, but they are subject to strict conditions and have yet to be enacted on a significant scale. Trump’s false claims distract from these complex realities, offering a dangerous oversimplification of issues that require nuanced understanding and dialogue.
Elon Musk, a prominent far-right amplifier, has once again amplified Trump’s claims, describing the South African government as “anti-white.”
However, this position has been soundly rejected by South African courts, which label the notion of a ‘white genocide’ as unfounded. The presentation of such ideas not only poses risks to diplomatic relations but also threatens to deepen divisions within South African society, undermining the efforts of reconciliation and healing from a troubled past.
Trump us being aided by most of the right-wing media
In a climate where mistruths can easily circulate, the portrayal of South Africa as a land where white individuals are under siege distorts the narrative and masks the country’s more profound struggles with inequality, actual racism, and violence that predominantly affect the Black population.
The media and political narratives surrounding these issues are crucial, as they can directly impact the lives of millions and the global understanding of a nation still grappling with its history. Yet when most of the right-wing corporate media fail to even report the US president as peddling racist, far-right conspiracy theory, the impact is only worsened. It is worsened still when outlets like the Daily Mail amplify the conspiracy theory themselves.
Trump must be held accountable for his claims, especially those that can incite division and misunderstanding. Of course, it’s highly unlikely he will be.
Featured image via the Canary
