A Pretoria-based group, Betereinders says lobby group AfriForum has not told the entire truth in its campaigns in the United States regarding the conditions of white South African citizens in comparison with the lives of the majority black people in South Africa.
Last week, Betereinders unveiled its “Not USA, but You SA” campaign in Pretoria, which was accompanied by a braai and a large billboard.
Betereinders argues that it does not believe Afrikaners in South Africa are victims, and they should not play the victims.
The Betereinders group featured in this story/article is not to be confused with the Bittereinders movement.
In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, co-founder of Betereinders Johan Erasmus said while it is factual to state that there is “a major problem” with rural safety across South Africa, however the issue is not politically motivated.
“There is a problem with rural safety. It is a fact, and we can agree on that. We do not have to deny that completely, but to say that this is a politically motivated thing is just completely absurd,” he told the television news channel,” he said.
“I think we need to acknowledge that there are farmers across the country who state that they do not necessarily live in fear and something that is under-reported is that many farm workers sometimes are the victims of murder when it comes to stock theft. It is not just a one-dimensional thing.
“We are not here to say there is no issue. We are just saying this is an issue of crime that has been utilised for political gain and we are critiquing that jump, that leap,” said Erasmus.
Regarding farms murders, Erasmus said his organisation is connected to many white commercial farmers “and they just simply do not share the same narrative” advanced by organisations including AfriForum.
“That does not mean we deny the reality of farm murders, but we also say in the same voice that if you are a black person in South Africa you are more likely to be a victim of crime than a white person,” said Erasmus.
He added that the narrative of farm murders in South Africa “has been completely politically exaggerated”.
On Sunday, IOL reported that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has thrown down the gauntlet to AfriForum, ordering the lobby group to provide evidence contrary to the crime statistics on the farm murders.
According to crime statistics for the third quarter (October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024), only one person who was a farmer was reported as murdered.
However, AfriForum has vehemently disputed this.
Both the minister and Afriforum remain deadlocked over the issue of farm murders prolificacy, with Mchunu challenging the lobby group to back their claims with evidence.
In a brief interview with the Daily News, Mchunu challenged AfriForum, demanding verifiable evidence that contradicts his ministry's statistics.
“We thoroughly work to produce accurate crime statistics to reflect the country’s crime statistics situation. We will not allow any posturing by an organisation such as AfriForum to cause unnecessary uncertainty. We will await them providing us with evidence,” said Mchunu.
IOL