The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has called on South Africans to unite in condemning US President Donald Trump’s “false and dangerous” claims of a white, Afrikaner genocide in South Africa, warning that the remarks threaten to inflame racial tensions and distort the country’s image internationally.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform this week, alleged that white Afrikaners are being “killed and slaughtered” and that their farms are being “illegally confiscated.” The Foundation said the comments echo long-debunked conspiracy theories propagated by far-right groups and serve a political purpose within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
“This rhetoric feeds into a global white victimhood narrative that fuels racism, religious prejudice and a re-emerging fascist identity,” the Foundation said.
Global and historical context
The idea of a “white genocide” in South Africa has circulated for more than a decade, gaining traction on fringe US and European right-wing media platforms.
In 2018, Trump made similar comments after Fox News aired a segment alleging that the South African government was seizing white-owned land. The South African government at the time dismissed those claims as “misinformed and false.”
Experts and independent studies have consistently shown that while violent farm attacks remain a concern, they affect people of all races, and there is no evidence of a coordinated campaign targeting white farmers.
Analysts say Trump’s revival of the issue may be part of an attempt to rally his conservative base ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, tapping into global far-right narratives about race, immigration and identity.
Tensions between Pretoria and Washington
The Foundation said the USA’s reported withdrawal from the G20 summit over the so-called genocide allegations fits into a broader pattern of diplomatic strain between the two countries.
It cited previous incidents, including the expulsion of former South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, uncertainty surrounding special envoy Mcebisi Jonas, and tariffs imposed on South African goods, as part of a campaign to pressure Pretoria to align its foreign policy with Washington’s interests.
“The US appears determined to undermine South Africa’s sovereignty,” the statement read. “These measures directly harm sectors like agriculture and manufacturing.”
AfriForum, Elon Musk and disinformation networks
The Foundation accused groups such as AfriForum, Solidarity, and billionaire Elon Musk of amplifying Trump’s claims and using social media to spread disinformation about South Africa’s land reform and crime statistics.
“They have preyed on people’s fears and prejudices, leveraging debates on land redistribution, black economic empowerment and crime to lobby a global superpower in favour of an ethno-nationalist agenda,” the Foundation said.
It also questioned whether such organisations genuinely care about farmers’ welfare, or whether they are destabilising the economy under the guise of advocacy — comparing their tactics to Bell Pottinger’s racially divisive campaigns during the Gupta years.
Calls for accountability and unity
The Foundation welcomed the FW de Klerk Foundation and over 40 prominent Afrikaners who have publicly rejected Trump’s genocide narrative, urging more South Africans to do the same.
It further revealed that in a recent meeting with the US Embassy’s new Human Rights Officer, Norman Pflanz, the Kathrada Foundation challenged the Embassy’s 2024 human rights report, saying it contributed to “false narratives” about South Africa. The Embassy reportedly committed to addressing inaccuracies in future reports.
“This is an opportunity to build genuine national unity around the core values of our Constitution,” the Foundation said. “We must not allow racists and extremists to define South Africa’s story.”
