---
title: "False white genocide claims divide us and obscure the wider crime crisis"
description: "South Africa’s violent crime crisis must be understood within the country’s enduring inequalities and divided history, rather than through racialised narratives of white victimhood. South Africans must reject divisive foreign intervention and work together on crime, corruption, inequality and nation building."
type: "OpinionNewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Opinionistas"
author: "Dawie Jacobs"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dawie-jacobs/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-09-30-false-white-genocide-claims-divide-us-and-obscure-the-wider-crime-crisis/"
published: "2026-09-30T20:31:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 832
---

# False white genocide claims divide us and obscure the wider crime crisis

> South Africa’s violent crime crisis must be understood within the country’s enduring inequalities and divided history, rather than through racialised narratives of white victimhood. South Africans must reject divisive foreign intervention and work together on crime, corruption, inequality and nation building.

By Dawie Jacobs · Published 30 September 2026, 22:31 SAST

## Content

It is common knowledge that we have a serious violent crime problem in SA. People I knew were killed during a senseless attack. Every murder is one too many.

But context is everything. The impact of our divided past is still visible in our society.

Yes, there are bubbles of progress among the previously disadvantaged and bubbles of successful nation building, for example in sport. And yes, the black middle class, an important stabilising factor in any society, did grow. They are increasingly integrated in the First World economy, in top schools and universities, and have job opportunities that they did not have previously. However, it still happens mainly in bubbles.

The reality of millions of previously disadvantaged people in black suburbs, and in areas far removed from job opportunities, as a result, among other reasons, of forced removals, as in the Cape Flats, remains largely the same.

Affirmative action, reminiscent of the steps the National Party implemented to uplift poor whites (“*armblankes*”), have not yet filtered through to the masses and the poorest of the poor.

### For perspective

Huge backlogs and large numbers create big challenges. For perspective: despite job creation, job reservation and study bursaries, it took the poor whites up to three generations to obtain university qualifications and to move into the mainstream of the economy. Education and job opportunities also led to smaller families.

Yes, today there are also poor whites on the fringes, because, among other things, the colour of your skin no longer assures entry into the job market.

We are facing huge challenges that we can only overcome together. Sport is a prime example of what we can achieve if we work together.

There are also other bubbles of success such as community organisations that are taking hands across historic divides, working together for a better future for all our people. We are painfully aware of the negative impact of widespread corruption, but that is also something that we must overcome as a nation.

The issue of violence in our country must be seen and addressed in this context.

The misplaced planting of white crosses in Washington against the background of allegations of a white genocide portrayed our country in a very negative light.

The fact that the focus was on white Afrikaners divided us again on historical lines, since black people are affected the most by crime.

### Public opinion

In the public’s opinion the white crosses were clearly associated with a white genocide. The Afrikaners involved are now denying that they ever presented them as symbolising a white genocide, but a 2010 AfriForum Youth campaign associated with current Lex Libertas Executive Director Ernst Roets was titled “FIFA 2010: A Celebration of Genocide” during the soccer World Cup in SA.

US President Donal Trump also referred to it as a white genocide based on information provided to him – and his sources are an open secret. His man in Pretoria clearly has a broad agenda. The fact remains – against this background, in public opinion it has been widely seen as symbolising a white genocide.

This highly controversial action on foreign soil, a form of treason in any language, leads to deep divisions, and anger, in the public debate in our country. It reminds me of the climate in South Africa pre-1994. Nation building is being placed on the back burner. And in this tense climate Roets has further upped the stakes by challenging our president to place these crosses on the lawns of the Union Building in Pretoria!

No other country can solve our problems, especially not a country like the US that is itself deeply divided. Its involvement is driven by self-interest. South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and our membership of BRICS are huge irritations to it. The well-known quote “Nations do not have friends, only interests,” is applicable.

Well-meant involvement between countries with full diplomatic relations takes place through official channels, not through “freelance diplomats” who have been moving in Trump’s orbit since his first term with their own interests and agendas.

### A nation divided

The only visible “success” of the white crosses was to deeply divide our nation again. There is even a difference of opinion among Afrikaner organisations about this project. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has now openly distanced himself from Trump on the issue of a white genocide as the pressure mounts around this issue.

The following points of criticism that have already surfaced in the public debate deserve to be mentioned: Why place the crosses on foreign territory (hanging out our dirty laundry in Washington)? Why use the raw emotion of farm murders for political gain in a foreign country? Is refugee status really what Afrikaners are striving for?

We must, as many are doing already, roll up our sleeves together with our fellow countrymen and work out our own future – the future is in our hands.

No other country can, or will, do it on our behalf. **DM**