So Donald Trump has asked his Secretary of State to “closely study” South Africa’s land and farm expropriation and the “large scale killing of farmers”.
“South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers,” he tweeted.
Good. You’re most welcome to investigate, Donald. Don’t take Fox News or AfriForum’s word for it.
Come and see what’s really going on in our country - and then tweet the facts.
The reality is that no farms have been expropriated - yet.
But there is a rampant crime problem; almost every community - including the boere - is affected by violent crime.
Bakkies, cellphones, cash and jewellery are being expropriated left right and centre - but not land.
So Trump, if you want to do us a favour, send in some of your CSI guys.
They could team up with SAPS and crack some cases together.
There’s been some debate over farm attacks statistics.
While government says the latest numbers are lower than 20 years ago, AfriForum says farm murders last year were at their highest level in 13 years.
The same with land ownership figures.
A recent government survey showed white farmers own over 70% of farm land in the country.
AfriForum, however, claims that figure is only 22%.
So who do we believe?
A government that is nailing half of its own department heads for state capture?
Or nutcases (that should read “Nat” cases) who insist apartheid was NOT a crime against humanity?
Sure, it was self-defence...
Both the ANC and the Afrikaner “civil rights group” have been guilty of rocking the boat with irresponsible statements regarding the issue of land reform.
Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared on late-night TV to announce that the ANC would be pushing ahead with plans to amend the Constitution to make allowance for expropriation of land without compensation.
This before the public consultation road shows could even be completed.
Two weeks later, AfriForum hit back by publishing a list of 195 farms it alleged the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform was targeting for expropriation.
Where they got the list from, die Here alleen weet, but it caused a flat panic among farmers and paranoid white property owners.
Government was just as flabbergasted by the list.
The latest is that Parliament’s Public Works committee has decided to withdraw the Expropriation Bill temporarily to give the constitutional review committee time to review the proposed changes.
With all this and the whole kerfuffle with Trump, Ramaphosa felt compelled to come out and make a few reassurances, saying:
* There will be no illegal or state-led land grabs
* SA will not make the same mistakes as Zimbabwe
* The Constitution already makes provision for land expropriation without compensation; the amendments will seek to clarify this
* Unused land, derelict buildings and property used for speculation will be targeted - not just any private property
* And beneficiaries of land reform will be given the necessary tools and support structures to become productive land owners.
That doesn’t sound so bad? In fact, UK Prime Minister Theresa May was OK with the idea when she met with Cyril this week.
That’s exactly what AfriForum should do: sit down, discuss concerns, understand each other, and come up with solutions that will benefit the entire country and grow the economy.
But that’s not AfriForum’s style, is it?
After all, they are an Afrikaner lobby group, whose focus it is to protect their own rights and interests.
They are not there for the benefit and prosperity of all South Africans.
So any talk of sharing land, wealth and critical skills... try somewhere else.
No, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel en kie would sooner fly to the States, spread propaganda on right-wing TV channel, Fox, and spark white hysteria back home.
And then they still have the gall to gloat that Trump’s ignorant tweet was a major victory. How embarrassing.
The good, non-racist Afrikaners of SA deserve better representation than this.