Claims of white genocide 'not real', South African court rules

A South African court has rejected claims of a white genocide in the country, deeming them "clearly imagined" and "not real." This ruling challenges statements made by US President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk.

The court's decision came as it blocked a wealthy benefactor, Grantland Michael Bray, from donating $2.1 million (£1.7 million) to the white supremacist group Boerelegioen. Bray intended to fund the group to help promote its "racial hatred and separation" agenda. However, the court ruled that his request was invalid, vague, and "contrary to public policy."

A South African court has ruled that claims of a "white genocide" in the country are "clearly imagined" and "not real," dismissing the allegations made by US President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk. The ruling came as the court blocked a $2.1 million donation intended for the white supremacist group Boerelegioen. Grantland Michael Bray had planned to leave the money to support the group’s cause of racial hatred, but the court deemed the bequest "vague" and "contrary to public policy."

Trump had previously referred to what he described as the "large-scale killing of farmers" in South Africa, while Musk condemned what he called "racist ownership laws" and the "genocide of white people." Trump even suggested that white South African farmers should be allowed to seek refuge in the US due to the alleged persecution they faced. Musk, who grew up in South Africa, has also made similar statements.

Bray's siblings, who were also beneficiaries of his family trust, brought the case to court. They claimed Bray became obsessed with the idea of a white genocide in South Africa, a belief that intensified in the last decade of his life. Bray’s growing paranoia, fueled by his racism and exposure to online content, led him to support Boerelegioen in 2020, even giving the group $326,000 in gold coins.

The Boerelegioen describes itself as a "civil defence movement" meant to protect whites from an alleged threat of extermination, but the court found the group’s actions and intentions to be rooted in unfounded fears of a genocide. The judge ruled that Bray’s will was too vague regarding the intended beneficiary of the funds, and that the money could not be used to further a group promoting racial hatred.

The ruling is a clear rebuke to the unfounded claims of a white genocide in South Africa, despite their popularity among some right-wing figures in the US. Local crime statistics tell a different story, with farm attacks being rare in comparison to the overall crime rate, which saw nearly 7,000 murders in the country between October and December 2024, including just 12 farm-related killings.