Court in S/A dismisses Trump’s claims

says claims of genocide are not real

On Monday, a South African court, dismissed claims by President Donald Trump, of a white genocide in South Africa.

The court referred to the claim as “clearly imagined” and “not real”.

The ruling came as the court impeded a wealthy benefactor’s donation to a white supremacist group, Boerelegioen.

BOERELEGIOEN AND AFRIKANERS

Boerelegioen is considered a right-wing Afrikaner group due to its ideology and activities which align with far-right and national sentiments like:

opposing post-apartheid transformation policies;

paramilitary training which raises concerns about the group’s intentions and potential for violence;

association with extremist groups both within South Africa and Internationally.

Afrikaners are a South African ethnic group descended primarily from Dutch, French Huguenot, and German settlers.

They are said to have arrived in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries.

it is important to note that not all Afrikaners support or affiliate with Boerelegioen.

Boerelegioen claims her mission is centered around establishing civil safety groups and tactical units to protect the Afrikaner community in South Africa.

The wealthy benefactor, Grantland Michael Bray, wanted to donate $2.1m ( £1.7m) to the group to help it “further its messages of racial hatred and separation”.

But the court ruled this request was invalid, vague and “contrary to public policy”.

TRUMP’S CLAIMS

Trump and businessman Elon Musk had both condemned large scale killing of white farmers.

They condemned it as a genocide of white people.

Musk had also said that the country’s land reform policies were racist.

Despite vowing to crack down on immigration, Trump has said that white South African farmers would be allowed to settle in the US as refugees because of the persecution he said they faced.

On the otherhand, Musk was born and bred in South Africa before he moved to the US.

The concept of “white genocide” has been a topic of discussion among some conservative groups and individuals, including Trump, in the past.

The court’s decision is significant, as it debunks a narrative that has been used to spread misinformation and hate.

By ruling that these claims are unfounded, the court aims to promote truth and accuracy in public discourse.

GRAY SIBLINGS

The court action was brought by late Mr Gray’s four siblings, who are also trustees and beneficiaries of the family trust.

In it, they claimed that in the last 10 years of their late brother’s life, he had become “obsessed with the idea of an impending genocide of white people in South Africa”.

He died in March 2022.

BACKGROUND OF THE GRAY BEQUEST

Mr Gray, had become paranoid as he believed that the supposed “genocide” would occur soon.

He was left paralysed following an accident at the age of 26 while doing military service,

Judge Rosheni Allie in her ruling of February 15, ruled that his obsessive idea was further fuelled by his already present racism and the online content that he was exposed to,

Mr Gray first met members of the Boerelegioen in 2020 and allegedly gave them about $326,000 (£258,000) in gold coins to help fund their cause and gain membership of the racist group.

The Boerelegioen describes itself as a “civil defence movement that enables citizens to resist the promised slaughter of whites in RSA [Republic of South Africa] as well as the theft of their property.”

He subsequently made the organisation a beneficiary to his estate, specifying that a portion of the money go towards the various training programmes the group ran.

But because there were three entities with Boerelegioen as their name, the court found that Mr Gray’s bequest made was “vague concerning which entity was the intended beneficiary” of his will.

Judge Allie presented that the only expression of the [Mr Gray’s] intention that was evident was the intention for the funds to be used for ‘training’.

There was also his assertions that he wanted the funds used to benefit an organisation which he deemed to be one which will exterminate every black person in South Africa.

The assertion also stated that funds were to be used to defend or ward off a white genocide, which is clearly imagined and not real.

On the public policy issue, Mr Gray’s siblings contended that Boerelegioen wanted to use the funds to “further… its messages of racial hatred and separation”.

Boerelegioen claims it is simply providing security and training services to communities and did not exclude anyone on the basis of race, gender or religion.

Judge Allie ruled in favour of the siblings and ordered Boerelegioen to pay the costs in the court case.

Trump had earlier this month, signed an executive order freezing financial aid to the country over a new law allowing for land seizures by the South African government under certain circumstances.

The status of white South African farmers has long been a rallying cry on the right and far-right of American politics.

But despite numerous claims in the past of the systematic targeting of the country’s white Afrikaner minority group, local crime statistics figures paint a different picture.

South Africa does not release crime figures based on race but the latest figures revealed that 6,953 people were murdered in the country between October and December 2024.

Of these, 12 were killed in farm attacks. Of the 12, one was a farmer, while five were farm dwellers and four were employees, who are likely to have been black.

In contrast, 961 women were murdered alongside 273 children.

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