South Africa town leader 'sad' about Trump's misuse of white crosses video
By Nellie Peyton and Bhargav Acharya
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -A local representative of an area shown in a video played at the White House said she was "sad" that U.S. President Donald Trump used the footage of hundreds of white crosses as false evidence of mass killings of white South African farmers.
Trump showed an aerial shot of a procession of cars moving along a road lined with white crosses during his meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, as he doubled down on false claims of a white genocide in South Africa. He said the crosses were "burial sites" for over 1,000 white farmers.
The shot, whose location and date were verified by Reuters, showed crosses that were actually placed along the road between the town of Newcastle and the rural community of Normandien in 2020 as a tribute to a farming couple who had been murdered, said Bebsie Cronje, a ward councillor for Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal province.
The crosses, installed to accompany a memorial service for the couple, have since been removed.
"The crosses was not a display of how many farm murders (took place) or whatever. It was just a total tribute to the Raffertys," she told Reuters by telephone.
"I feel it's very sad that something like this is being used politically."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
South Africa's police minister Senzo Mchunu also said in a press briefing on Friday that the crosses were linked to the murder of the Rafferty couple. Three suspects were arrested and sentenced for their killing and are in jail, he said.
"They were sadly murdered by criminals in their home. The incident sparked a very strong protest by the farming community. The crosses symbolised killings on farms over years, they are not graves," he said.
He added that claims of a "white genocide" in South Africa were "unfounded and unsubstantiated", saying the country only recorded six farm murders in the first three months of 2025, which included one white person. A total of 5,727 murders took place over that period, down from 6,536 in the same period last year, figures from the police ministry showed.
"The history of farm murders in the country has always been distorted and reported in an unbalanced way. The truth is that farm murders have always included African people in more numbers."
Cronje said the placing of the crosses was not politically motivated.
"There was a group that was very close to the Raffertys. And they organised the gathering and the travelling of everybody there," said Cronje, referring to the long line of vehicles in the video.
She said that since then, another white farmer from Newcastle was murdered. But she did not feel that the crimes were linked to race.
"I can't say that it's just white people. If a black farmer is killed, it doesn't come to the news," said Cronje, who is from the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's second-biggest political party and a coalition partner of the African National Congress.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
Trump calls 'obliteration' an accurate description of damage to Iran's nuclear facilities
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday disputed Iranian attempts to downplay the strikes on its nuclear facilities, stressing that "obliteration" was an accurate description, even though the full extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities was not immediately clear. "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. The U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Sunday that there was "severe damage and destruction" to the facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, but did not go so far as to say that Iran's nuclear capacities had been "obliterated." "Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine said. Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that while the damage assessment is ongoing, "all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect." When asked if Iran still retains any nuclear capability, Caine said that "BDA is still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there." Battle Damage Assessment, or BDA, is a military term that refers to the process of evaluating the effects of military operations on a target. It usually involves a physical or functional check on the extent of damage, beyond visual signs, and whether the target remains operable These assessments are usually conducted by intelligence analysts and reconnaissance teams, using data from drones, satellites, radar, or ground reports. It helps commanders decide if the mission achieved its objectives and if follow-up strikes are needed. The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi also struck a cautious tone, saying that it was not yet possible to assess the damage done at the Fordo nuclear facility. Adding to the uncertainty, Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian source, that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordo had been moved to an undisclosed location ahead of the U.S. strikes on the enrichment site. The strikes began early on Saturday, when six U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers dropped six GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) - a 30,000-pound bomb known as the "bunker buster," - on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility, which is built into the side of a mountain. A seventh U.S. B‑2 bomber released two GBU‑57 bombs on the Natanz Nuclear Facility, while a U.S. Navy submarine also launched a volley of 30 Tomahawk missiles, targeting Natanz and a third site, Isfahan. The mission, code named Operation Midnight Hammer, involved more than 125 aircraft in total.
Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Business Insider
10 most peaceful African countries in 2025, according to latest ranking
Mauritius is Africa's most peaceful country in 2025, securing the 26th spot globally. Botswana comes next, ranked 43rd in the world, while Namibia follows in third place on the continent, holding the 50th position globally. Business Insider Africa presents the 10 most peaceful countries in Africa in 2025, according to latest ranking. The list is courtesy of Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) Mauritius is Africa's most peaceful country in 2025, ranking 26th globally. While headlines often focus on unrest, the latest Global Peace Index 2025 reminds us that there are corners of the continent where peace is thriving. Published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the Global Peace Index is the world's leading benchmark for measuring peace across 163 countries, using 23 indicators including safety, conflict levels, and military expenditure. And while the report paints a sobering global picture, with violence costing the world nearly $20 trillion in 2024, some African countries are bucking the trend. Mauritius is Africa's most peaceful country in 2025, securing the 26th spot globally. Botswana comes next, ranked 43rd in the world, while Namibia follows in third place on the continent, holding the 50th position globally. However, the report also highlights that Sub-Saharan Africa's overall peace score deteriorated in 2025 with its average score falling by 0.17%. Regionally, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the least peaceful region globally, and it is home to four of the ten least peaceful countries in the world. South Asia, which recorded the largest average deterioration of all the regions, due in part to significant declines in peacefulness in Bangladesh and Pakistan, is now the second least peaceful region globally. Below are the 10 most peaceful countries in Africa in 2025, according to latest ranking: Rank Country Global rank 1 Mauritius 26th 2 Botswana 43rd 3 Namibia 50th 4 The Gambia 55th 5 Sierra Leone 57th 6 Madagascar 59th 7 Ghana 61st 8 Zambia 65th 9 Senegal 69th 10 Liberia 70th
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Investors brace for oil price spike, rush to safe havens after US bombs Iran nuclear sites
A US attack on Iranian nuclear sites could push oil prices even higher and trigger a knee-jerk rush to safety, investors said, as they assessed how the latest escalation of tensions would ripple through the global economy. The reaction in Middle East stock markets, which trade on Sunday, suggested investors were assuming a benign outcome, even as Iran intensified its missile attacks on Israel in response to the sudden, deep U.S. involvement in the conflict. President Trump called the attack 'a spectacular military success' in a televised address to the nation and said Iran's 'key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.' He said the U.S. military could go after other targets in Iran if the country did not agree to peace. Advertisement Iran said it reserves all options to defend itself, and warned of 'everlasting consequences.' Speaking in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was weighing its options for retaliation and would consider diplomacy only after carrying out its response. 7 President Trump called the attack 'a spectacular military success.' REUTERS Investors said they expected US involvement would cause a stock market selloff and a possible bid for the dollar and other safe-haven assets when major markets reopen, but also said much uncertainty remained. Advertisement 'I think the markets are going to be initially alarmed, and I think oil will open higher,' said Mark Spindel, chief investment officer at Potomac River Capital. 'I think the uncertainty is going to blanket the markets, as now Americans everywhere are going to be exposed. It's going to raise uncertainty and volatility, particularly in oil,' he added. One indicator of how markets will react in the coming week was the price of ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency and a gauge of retail investor sentiment. Advertisement 'We don't have any damage assessment and that will take some time. Even though (Trump) has described this as 'done', we're engaged,' Spindel said. Ether was down 8.5% on Sunday, taking losses since the first Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13 to 13%. 7 Iran has warned of 'everlasting consequences' over the U.S. attack. via REUTERS Most Gulf stock markets, however, seemed unconcerned by the early morning attacks, with the main indexes in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait up slightly or flat. Israel's Tel Aviv main index was at an all-time high. Advertisement A key concern for markets centers around the potential impact of Middle East developments on oil prices and thus on inflation. Rising inflation could dampen consumer confidence and lessen the chance of near-term interest rate cuts. Saul Kavonic, a senior energy analyst at equity research firm MST Marquee in Sydney, said Iran could respond by targeting American interests in the Middle East, including Gulf oil infrastructure in places such as Iraq or harassing ship passages through the Strait of Hormuz. 7 Traders are bracing for a rocky day on Wall Street when markets open Monday. AFP via Getty Images The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and is the primary export route for oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait. 'Much depends on how Iran responds in the coming hours and days, but this could set us on a path towards $100 oil if Iran respond as they have previously threatened to,' Kavonic said. While global benchmark Brent crude futures have risen as much as 18% since June 10, hitting a near five-month high of $79.04 on Thursday, the S&P 500 has been little changed, following an initial drop when Israel launched its attacks on Iran on June 13. 7 Brent crude futures have risen as much as 18% since June 10, Getty Images Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, said oil prices would likely spike before leveling off in a few days as the attacks could lead Iran to seek a peace deal with Israel and the U.S. Advertisement 'With this demonstration of force and total annihilation of its nuclear capabilities, they've lost all of their leverage and will likely hit the escape button to a peace deal,' Cox said. Economists warn that a dramatic rise in oil prices could damage a global economy already strained by Trump's tariffs. 7 During past Mideast, stocks initially languished but soon recovered to trade higher in the months ahead. AFP via Getty Images Still, any pullback in equities might be fleeting, history suggests. During past eruptions of Middle East tensions, including the 2003 Iraq invasion and the 2019 attacks on Saudi oil facilities, stocks initially languished but soon recovered to trade higher in the months ahead. Advertisement On average, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% in the three weeks following the start of conflict, but was 2.3% higher on average two months following the conflict, according to data from Wedbush Securities and CapIQ Pro. An escalation in the conflict could have mixed implications for the U.S. dollar, which has tumbled this year amid worries over diminished U.S. exceptionalism. 7 Analysts say the dollar could benefit from a safety bid in the event of direct US engagement in the Iran-Israel war. AFP via Getty Images In the event of U.S. direct engagement in the Iran-Israel war, the dollar could initially benefit from a safety bid, analysts said. Advertisement 'Do we see a flight to safety? That would signal yields going lower and the dollar getting stronger,' said Steve Sosnick, chief market strategist at IBKR in Greenwich, Conn. 'It's hard to imagine stocks not reacting negatively and the question is how much.' Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager for global fixed income at Brandywine Global Investment Management in Philadelphia, said it was uncertain whether U.S. Treasuries would rally after the U.S. attack, largely due to the market's hypersensitivity to inflation. 'This could lead to regime change (which) ultimately could have a much bigger impact on the global economy if Iran shifts towards a more friendly, open economic regime,' said McIntyre.
