A Hillside of White Crosses Fuels a Misleading Story About South Africa’s Farm Killings

June 19, 2025

The Witkruis Monument in South Africa displays nearly 3,000 white crosses commemorating white farmers killed over the past three decades, but fails to represent the hundreds of Black farmers and farmworkers who have also been victims of farm violence. This memorial has fueled a false narrative, amplified by figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, that white South African farmers are being systematically targeted based on race. Government data and expert studies consistently show that farm attacks are primarily motivated by robbery, representing a tiny percentage of South Africa's overall crime rate, with Black South Africans being the majority of violent crime victims nationwide.

Who is affected

White farmers and their families in South Africa
Black farmers and farmworkers who are also victims but not represented in the memorial
South African farming communities across racial lines
South Africans experiencing the country's high general crime rates, predominantly Black citizens
Former farmworkers involved in disputes with farm owners
The international community receiving misinformation about the situation

What action is being taken

The Witkruis Monument continues to add approximately 50 crosses annually to memorialize white farming victims
South African police are providing racial breakdowns of farm killings to counter misinformation
AfriForum (a white Afrikaner lobby group) is tracking and recording farm killings and robberies
Right-wing political groups in South Africa and abroad are perpetuating narratives about targeted persecution
The South African government is publicly denouncing the misinformation spread by Trump and others

Why it matters

The selective memorialization distorts the reality of farm violence in South Africa
Misinformation is being used to fuel international political narratives and influence foreign policy
The false narrative obscures the fact that farm attacks represent only 0.2% of overall murders in South Africa
Trump has implemented punitive measures against South Africa based on these incorrect claims
The situation highlights racial disparities in land ownership (white people own 72% of privately owned farms while making up only 7% of the population)
The misinformation overshadows the disproportionate impact of violent crime on Black South Africans

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint