Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has rejected claims of a targeted “white genocide” in South Africa’s farming communities, revealing that in the most recent quarter, black South Africans were victims in all but one of the recorded farm attacks.
Speaking on Friday, Mchunu said six rural attacks had been recorded in the fourth quarter, resulting in two deaths. “The history of farm murders in the country has always been distorted and reported in an unbalanced way. The truth is farm murders have always included African people in more numbers,” he said.
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He clarified that, of the recent victims, two farm owners, two farm employees, and one farm manager were black, while only one farm dweller was white. “The two farm owners who were murdered during the fourth quarter were African and not white,” he added.
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In the previous quarter, 12 farm murders were reported. Mchunu noted that investigations were ongoing and arrests had been made in several cases.
Mchunu Responds to Trump, Clarifies Land Invasion Misconceptions
Mchunu also addressed controversial comments made by former US President Donald Trump, who claimed white farmers in South Africa were under siege and attackers operated with impunity.
“We do want to assure South Africans the SAPS prioritises all types of crimes and conducts thorough investigations to ensure justice is ultimately served,” said Mchunu.
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He distinguished between land grabbing and land invasions: “We want to reject the notion of ‘land grabbing’ in the country but instead confirm we do have cases of land invasions and the two are very different.”
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“These acts are largely driven by desperation for land among African people who find themselves landless. It is sporadic and it remains unlawful,” he said, adding that expropriation policies were being developed to address these challenges systematically and legally.
He also responded to a viral photo of white crosses, reportedly symbolizing murdered white farmers, shown by Trump. “We have no respect for the genocide story. It is totally unfounded and unsubstantiated,” Mchunu said.
The crosses, he explained, were part of a 2020 community protest after the murder of Glen and Vida Rafferty. “They are not graves. Three suspects were arrested and sentenced for their murders and they are in jail,” he added.
Stock Theft Takes Priority as Police Recover Livestock Worth Millions
Mchunu highlighted stock theft as a major concern for both rural safety and the economic wellbeing of farming communities.
“It not only threatens the financial stability of our agricultural sector but also undermines the livelihoods of countless families who depend on livestock for their sustenance and economic well-being,” he said.
Citing a recent police operation, Mchunu praised law enforcement in the Eastern Cape for recovering a substantial amount of stolen livestock in areas including Qumbu, Matatiele, Maclear, and Tsolo. The haul included:
- 231 cattle valued at R2.7 million
- 81 sheep worth R160,000
- 78 goats valued at R150,000
“We commend the various teams for this and we urge them to remain vigilant and to continue in their efforts to fight stock theft,” he said.
If you have information related to farm crimes or stock theft, report it to your local SAPS station or contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
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