Trump says that there is a “genocide” in South Africa, but white African farmers reject this claim

Bidaville, South Africa (AP) – Days before the President of the South Africa meets US President Donald Trump in the White House.

Here in Bothaville, where thousands of farmers to a lively agricultural mass with everything, from grains to exhibited, even some conservative white groups of Africans contested the “genocide” of the Trump government and land sequence, which led to the fact that they lowered all financial aid to South Africa.

As usual, the lively scene was business business, with milkshakes and burgers and tower puppies that were pulled into cars.

The late President Nelson Mandela and the first black leader in South Africa stand in Bothaville over a quarter of a century ago and recognized the increasing number of violent attacks on farmers in the first years after the decades-long racial regulation system of apartheid. “But the complex problem of crime on our farms, as elsewhere, requires long -term solutions,” he said.

Some of them said that none of them were to flee from the country.

REGARD: Trump confronts the South African president because of claims for more targeted killing of white farmers

“I really hope that during the upcoming visit to Washington (President Cyril Ramaphosa) the facts can provide the facts in front of his counterpart and prove that there is no mass relief against land in South Africa, and there is no genocide,” said John Steenhuisen, Associated Press. He will be part of the delegation for the meeting on Wednesday.

The white African community of the minority is in the spotlight after the United States has granted at least 49 Africans to flee refugee status to flee racist and violent persecution and widespread seizures from White Land to Flei-Drotze Flei-Der Evidence that such claims are not true.

While many drew serious concerns about the security of farmers and land workers on the agricultural fair, others quickly pointed out that crime aimed for both black and white farmers and farmers, as the crime statistics of South Africa show.

Thobani Ntonga, a black farmer from the province of Eastern Cape, told the AP, which he was attacked and almost kidnapped by criminals on his farm, but intervened by a black neighbor.

“Crime affects both black and white. … it is a problem of vulnerability,” he said. “The farmers are separated from their general public. We are not near cities, we are in rural areas. And I think it's exactly that. So, perpetrator, live from the fact that the farms are isolated.”

White farmers repeated his thoughts and demanded more resources and police work – but there was no genocide that would make them flee to South Africa.

“The crime in particular is poorer farmers because they have no resources for private security,” said African farmer Willem de Chavonnes. He and other farmers wondered why they would leave the country in which they have been rooted for decades.

“We are not interested in going somewhere,” he added. “What we want to do is part of this country.”

Ramaphosa, even a cattle farmer, visited the agricultural fair for the first time in about 20 years -to buy equipment, but also in South Africa puzzle about the focus of the Trump government on her country.

“We must not run away from our problems,” said the president during his visit. “If you run away, you are a coward.”

Application as a refugee

The rapid persecution of the Africans' refugee applications has raised questions about a system in which many who are looking for asylum in the United States, smashed and wait for years.

The Foreign Ministry has not given any details about the public process, but a person who applied for relocated to the AP told the AP that the online application process was “strict”.

Katia Beeden, member of an Advocacy group that was founded to support white South Africans who are aiming for resettlement, have to go through at least three online interviews and answer questions about their health and criminal background.

You also have to submit information or proof of the persecution in South Africa, she said. She said she had been robbed in her house and robbercarrowed her into her bedroom.

“You have already warned that you cannot lie or hide anything from you. So it is a fairly thorough process and not everyone is guaranteed,” she said.

According to the numbers

Violent crimes are widespread in South Africa, but experts say that the vast majority of the victims are black and poor. Police statistics show that up to 75 people are killed all over the country every day.

The Africans Agriculture Union Tlu Sa believes that farmers are more susceptible to such attacks due to their isolation.

Twelve murders occurred in 2024 on farms, as police statistics show. One of the farmers killed. The rest were agricultural workers, people who stayed on farms, and a security guard. The data does not reflect the victim's race.

A total of 6,953 people were killed in all of South Africa last year.

Government data also show that white farmers have the vast majority of the South African arable land – 80% of it, as from the 2017 census in commercial agriculture, which recorded over 40,000 white farmers.

However, this data only reflects farmers who have sales of $ 55,396 per year, which excludes many small farmers, most of them black.

Overall, the white minority – only 7% of the population knows – still has the vast majority of the country in South Africa, which the World Bank described as the “most uneven country in the world”.

According to the 2017 government, White South Africans have around 72% of the individual country – while Black South Africans have 15%.

Associated Press Writer Michelle Gumede in Johannesburg contributed to this report.