CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A South African court has dismissed claims of a “white genocide” in the country as “clearly imagined and not real,” undermining assertions made by U.S. President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk. The ruling also invalidated a $2.1 million bequest from Grantland Michael Bray to the Boerelegioen, an Afrikaner nationalist group.
The Western Cape High Court’s decision, delivered by Judge Rosheni Allie, addressed Bray’s intention to fund the Boerelegioen, which he believed would “exterminate every black person in South Africa.” Judge Allie labeled the group’s claims of an impending white genocide as “fearmongering” and noted that crime statistics do not support an increased threat to white South Africans.
Bray, who died in March 2022, had become increasingly obsessed with the notion of a looming genocide against white South Africans, influenced by online content and his existing racist beliefs. His siblings contested the bequest, leading to the court’s intervention. Judge Allie declared the donation invalid, stating it was “vague” and “contrary to public policy.”
The Boerelegioen describes itself as a “civil defense movement” aiming to protect white South Africans, particularly farmers, from what it perceives as systematic targeting—a narrative widely debunked. The court found that the group’s materials glorified apartheid-era governance, contradicting South Africa’s constitutional values. Additionally, the paramilitary training programs Bray intended to support were deemed unlawful.
This ruling challenges previous statements by Trump and Musk. In 2023, Musk, a South African native, accused the Pretoria government of being anti-white and suggested it encouraged the killing of white farmers. Trump’s administration proposed offering refugee status to Afrikaner farmers, citing alleged human rights violations—a claim the South African government has consistently refuted.
Crime data indicates that white South Africans, including farmers, are not disproportionately targeted. In 2023, 49 farmers or their family members were killed out of more than 27,000 murders nationwide. The court’s decision emphasizes the importance of basing public discourse on factual information rather than unfounded fears.
The invalidation of Bray’s bequest serves as a legal precedent against funding organizations that promote racial hatred and unfounded claims, reinforcing South Africa’s commitment to constitutional values and social cohesion.
