Rob Hoatson, who erected a memorial of white crosses in South Africa, clarified that they do not signify burial sites as claimed by Donald Trump during a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa. The crosses served to honor a couple murdered on their farm and highlight issues of farm violence devoid of racial targeting.
Misinterpretation of Memorial: Man Corrects Trump's Claim about South African Crosses
Misinterpretation of Memorial: Man Corrects Trump's Claim about South African Crosses
The organizer of a white crosses memorial in South Africa has refuted Trump's claim that they mark burial sites, clarifying their purpose.
The white crosses displayed in South Africa, recently referenced by Donald Trump in a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, have been mischaracterized, according to the man responsible for their installation. Rob Hoatson, who created the memorial alongside a roadside in KwaZulu-Natal, states that Trump incorrectly described the crosses as indicative of a "burial site."
Hoatson explained that the crosses are a temporary memorial honoring the memory of Glen and Vida Rafferty, a couple tragically murdered on their farm in August 2020. During the Oval Office meeting, Trump exhibited a video of these crosses to bolster claims that white farmers in South Africa are being systematically targeted. Ramaphosa, however, challenged Trump’s narrative, asserting that violence in South Africa affects individuals across racial lines, with the majority of murder victims being Black.
“It’s not a burial site, but it was a memorial," Hoatson clarified, expressing no issues with Trump’s use of the video for his argument yet rejecting the exaggeration of facts. The crosses, designed to commemorate the Raffertys, stretched along both sides of a road but have since been dismantled.
While Hoatson condemned the violence against white farmers as "unacceptable" and "unnecessary," he emphasized that it is crucial not to mischaracterize the memorial. He expressed disappointment at what he perceived as a lackluster response from Ramaphosa when confronted with the video during the meeting.
Trump's assertions have sparked mixed reactions, with some Afrikaner activists lauding his focus on what they term a "farm murder crisis," whereas critics like political columnist Pieter du Toit argue that such claims are products of misinformation proliferating in right-wing circles in the U.S. Moreover, South African crime statistics reveal that during the last quarter of 2024, approximately 10,000 people were murdered, with a small fraction being linked to farm attacks.
This incident underscores a broader debate about perceptions of violence in South Africa, bringing international attention to the complex issues surrounding crime, race, and agriculture in the nation.
