During a White House press briefing on Thursday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a heated exchange with NBC correspondent Yamiche Alcindor over the legitimacy of a video presented by President Donald Trump. The footage, displayed during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, purportedly showed white crosses representing the graves of white Afrikaner farmers -- victims of ongoing farm attacks. The controversy stirred as Alcindor questioned the veracity of the video, citing reports that contradicted Trump's claim.
The incident unfolded as President Ramaphosa completed his visit to the White House on Wednesday. In the Oval Office, President Trump broadcasted the contentious video, which he said depicted around 1,000 white crosses marking the gravesites of murdered white farmers. He expressed concern for the safety of many white South Africans, suggesting that their lands were being confiscated and that they were being killed, driving them to flee the country.
However, Alcindor challenged the President's narrative, pointing to sources that suggested the crosses were part of a memorial demonstration after a 2020 killing of a white farming couple, not actual burial sites. Her queries during the briefing prompted a tense back-and-forth with Leavitt, who defended the video’s credibility by citing reputable sources, including The Associated Press, which had documented the memorial.
Leavitt's defense of the video was adamant. “What’s unsubstantiated about the video?” she retorted. “The video shows crosses that represent the dead bodies of people who were racially persecuted by their government.” She dismissed Alcindor's skepticism as "ridiculous" and stood by the multiple outlets that had documented the memorial.
In a response that highlighted the tension between the two nations over this issue, President Ramaphosa questioned Trump about the precise location of the burial sites shown in the video. When Trump vaguely replied, "It's in South Africa, that's where," Ramaphosa firmly concluded that further investigation was needed.
The broader context of this debate is underscored by a recent State Department report from the Biden administration, which documented 748 farm attacks and over 100 killings targeting white South Africans in 2021 and 2022. While some advocacy groups argue these attacks are racially motivated, the report notes ambiguity as to whether the violence is part of the country's broader issue with an extremely high crime rate.
South Africa faces a severe violent crime problem, ranking third worldwide in murder rate according to 2023 data. Genocide Watch, a Washington-based organization, has labeled South Africa a “failed state” in providing personal security to its citizens, citing a staggering murder rate of 34 per 100,000 people.
Observers remain divided on the motives behind farm attacks. Some insist that white South African farmers are specifically targeted because of their race, while others view these crimes within the context of widespread lawlessness affecting all communities in South Africa. Nevertheless, the White House has deemed farm attacks a significant issue during diplomatic talks with South Africa, as evidenced by Trump's deliberate display of the video during Ramaphosa's visit.
