South African Court Debunks 'White Genocide' Claims, Rejects Funding for Supremacist Group

A South African court has dismissed claims of a white genocide as imaginary and ruled against a donation meant for a racial hate group, undermining the assertions of notable figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

In a significant legal decision, a South African court has rejected claims of a "white genocide" in the country, labeling them as "clearly imagined" and "not real." The ruling arrived in response to attempts by wealthy benefactor Grantland Michael Bray to bequeath approximately $2.1 million (£1.7 million) to the white supremacist organization, Boerelegioen, aimed at promoting messages of racial hatred and separation.

The case has drawn attention to remarks made by influential figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump, who highlighted purported large-scale killings of farmers in South Africa, and tech mogul Elon Musk, who has criticized alleged "racist ownership laws" in the nation. Despite these claims, the South African judicial system has exercised caution against such narratives.

Bray's siblings, who also serve as trustees and beneficiaries of the family estate, initiated legal action against his wishes, contending that since his military service accident, he had become obsessed with a supposed impending genocide against white individuals in South Africa. This obsession purportedly intensified over the last decade of his life, culminating in his death in March 2022.

The court revealed that Bray had previously met members of Boerelegioen and contributed around $326,000 (£258,000) to their cause. As an organization, Boerelegioen proclaims itself a "civil defense movement" established to resist what they describe as a threatened slaughter of whites and territorial dispossession in South Africa.

However, the court found Bray's bequest to be overly vague, mentioning multiple entities with the Boerelegioen name and thereby failing to clearly indicate a specific beneficiary. Consequently, Chief Judge Rosheni Allie asserted that funds intended for "training" could not be connected with Bray's perceived intentions of financing an organization he believed was poised to exclude or harm black South Africans.

In alignment with public policy considerations, the court ruled in favor of Bray's siblings, highlighting Boerelegioen's aspirations, which they claimed were to advance messages of racial division. The court also mandated Boerelegioen to bear the litigation costs.

This ruling comes amid heightened political tensions concerning the treatment of white farmers in South Africa, a focal point within conservative circles in the United States. Recently, Trump enacted an executive order to freeze financial assistance to South Africa, citing a law permitting land seizures under specific conditions, further complicating diplomatic relations.

Contrary to the claims regarding the systematic persecution of the white Afrikaner community, crime statistics in South Africa do not reveal any racial breakdown. Recent data indicated a total of 6,953 homicides in the country from October to December 2024, with only 12 attributed to farm attacks — raising questions about the narratives surrounding white victimhood in the nation.