US President Donald Trump showed a video of white crosses in South Africa to his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, during a tense meeting at the White House. Trump described the crosses as “burial sites” for over 1,000 white farmers, claiming they were targeted. However, Rob Hoatson, the man who organized the display, disputed Trump’s description, stating that the crosses were a temporary memorial to a couple killed on their farm in 2020.
“It’s not a burial site, but it was a memorial. It was not a permanent memorial that was erected. It was a temporary memorial,” Hoatson said. The memorial consisted of over 2,500 white crosses stretching along both sides of a road near the couple’s farm in KwaZulu-Natal province. The crosses were set up to mark the deaths of Glen and Vida Rafferty, 63 and 60, who were Hoatson’s neighbors and were killed on their farm in August 2020. Two men were convicted of their murder in 2022.
Hoatson expressed concerns about the murders of white farmers, calling them “unacceptable” and “unnecessary”. He also criticized Ramaphosa’s response to Trump’s claims, saying it was “somewhat pitiful” and lacked substance. Ramaphosa acknowledged the presence of “criminality in our country” and noted that the majority of people killed through criminal activity are black.
The incident highlights the strained relations between the US and South Africa, with Trump facing criticism for his comments on the treatment of white farmers in South Africa. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives has passed Trump’s domestic policy package, a victory for the president and Speaker Mike Johnson, with a vote of 215-214. The bill, which includes tax cuts, will head to the Senate for review.
With this clarifications, it is hoped that the White House under President Trump will reconsider its decisions to place sanctions on South Africa and the already strained relations would be straightened .