Professor George Tsibani says such narratives risk fuelling racial tensions and distorting public understanding at a time when the country is still grappling with the lasting scars of apartheid.

His remarks follow last week’s high-profile meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and former United States President Donald Trump. The talks, which aimed to deepen diplomatic ties, took a controversial turn when Trump presented videos and images to support his claim that white Afrikaners are being targeted in what he described as a genocide.

Tsibani says that framing SA’s crime challenges in this way is not only misleading but potentially dangerous.

“When politicians misuse terms like genocide for political ends, it not only undermines legitimate human rights work but also sows division in a society that is working hard to reconcile with its past,” he said.

Recent crime data also paints a different picture. Between October and December 2024, a total of 6 963 murders were recorded across the country. Of those, only 12 victims were linked to farming communities; five were dwellers and four were employees.

“While no murder is acceptable, we must be careful not to confuse broader violent crime with systematic targeting of a specific group. There is no genocide happening in SA,” Tsibani stressed.

--ChannelAfrica--