White Crosses in Washington

A total of 3,000 white crosses will be erected on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the White House and the Capitol. Each cross bears the name of someone who was murdered during a farm attack in South Africa. Through this poignant display, the White Cross Project intends to give visibility to the victims of farm murders during a vigil on 26 September and place the situation of Afrikaners on the international political agenda. The White Cross Project is an international initiative of Lex Libertas and the New York Young Republican Club.

Anyone looking at South Africa today sees a country with enormous potential, but also one grappling with serious problems. Violence, failing government services, the erosion of property rights and policies that treat citizens differently based on their race all deserve our attention. Afrikaners and other cultural minorities, in particular, find themselves in an increasingly difficult position.

“Kill the Boer”

One of the most distressing phenomena is the farm attacks targeting Afrikaner farmers and their families. “Plaas” is the Afrikaans word for “farm”, which may also refer to a very large agricultural enterprise. These targeted attacks often take place in remote areas where help is not immediately available. They can involve exceptionally brutal violence. The severe violence against Afrikaner farmers and their families must be taken seriously. These farmers are also important food producers and employers, meaning that the consequences affect the broader South African community as well.

South Africa has an extensive system of laws and policy measures in which race plays a role.

The organisers of the White Cross Project draw attention not only to the crime itself, but also to the climate in which hostile political rhetoric directed at Afrikaners is tolerated. Slogans such as “Kill the Boer” and “Shoot the Boer” are still used in South African politics. Calls to kill people because of their (white) ancestry are unacceptable. When such language becomes normalised, Western politicians must not remain indifferent.

South Africa has an extensive system of laws and policy measures in which race plays a role. According to the White Cross Project, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) affects, among other things, employment, ownership requirements, government contracts, licences and investment.

Property rights are fundamental

Land reform – and, more specifically, the South African debate surrounding property and land ownership – also deserves our attention. The White Cross Project points to the combination of expropriation policies, political rhetoric about land and illegal land occupations as a threat to legal certainty.

Property rights are one of the foundations of a free society. People who cannot be certain that their homes, agricultural land or businesses will still be protected tomorrow will feel unsafe, scale back their investments and ultimately seek opportunities elsewhere. Discouraging investment eventually destroys economic growth and employment. When agricultural land is also affected, food security is placed at risk. Ultimately, this affects all South Africans, regardless of their background.

In addition, there is a broader institutional crisis. According to the figures cited by the White Cross Project, South Africa records more than 27,000 murders annually and has a murder rate of approximately 45 per 100,000 inhabitants. The project also points to problems involving the electricity supply, water infrastructure and local government, as well as the enormous growth of essential private security services.

Ultimately, a government has several fundamental responsibilities: protecting the lives and freedom of its citizens, guaranteeing property rights and upholding the rule of law. When citizens must organise their own security, infrastructure and other basic services because the government is failing to provide them, a fundamental crisis of trust in the state arises.

Europe has a responsibility

As a member of the Foreign Policy Committee in the Flemish Parliament, I have been following the situation in South Africa for some time. It would be easy to regard all of this as a purely domestic South African matter. I believe that would be a mistake. Europe has historical, economic and cultural ties with South Africa. Flanders and the Netherlands, in particular, must not remain indifferent to what is happening in South Africa today. Although Flemings, Dutch people and Afrikaners live thousands of kilometres apart, our historical and cultural ties are nevertheless real.

Instability in South Africa therefore has consequences that extend far beyond the country’s borders.

Moreover, South Africa occupies a strategic location, and both the country and the surrounding region possess important natural resources. From the perspective of the European Union, South Africa is an important partner in diversifying our supply chains for critical raw materials. Instability in South Africa therefore has consequences that extend far beyond the country’s borders. In this context, the White Cross Project also points to the growing influence of countries such as China and Iran, as well as South Africa’s strategic importance to the West.

Europe should therefore devote far more attention to the situation. Not by lecturing South Africa from Brussels. Not by setting one population group against another. Instead, Europe should consistently defend the same principles: safety, freedom of expression without incitement to violence, equal treatment before the law, the protection of property and respect for cultural communities – including Afrikaners.

Do not remain silent

The White Cross Project seeks to draw international attention to these issues. In addition to displaying the 3,000 white crosses in Washington, it is organising a conference where victims of farm attacks, prominent figures from the Afrikaner movement and experts will be able to share their stories directly with American policymakers and the public.

This initiative deserves support. Its message is intended not only for the United States; it also deserves attention here. Victims of anti-white racism must be heard, and problems do not disappear when we remain silent about them.

Kristof Slagmulder

Kristof Slagmulder is a member of the Flemish Parliament for Vlaams Belang and the author of Vlaamse voetsporen in Zuid-Afrika (Flemish Footprints in South Africa).

This article was originally published in DOORBRAAK NIEUWS.