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AfriForum has previously asserted that farm murders are consistently underreported.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Picture: GCIS
Lobby group AfriForum has allegedly conceded that the statistics on farm murder in South Africa are accurate, according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
This follows a recent meeting between AfriForum, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, and the South African Police Service (Saps) officials after the organisation initially rejected the police’s third-quarter crime statistics.
AfriForum had argued that farm murders — especially those involving farm owners — were under-reported.
However, the statistics revealed that out of 6 953 reported murders, 12 were classified as farm murders, with one victim being a farmer.
This led Mchunu to instruct Saps’ crime registrar to verify a list of farm attacks submitted by AfriForum.
The police’s top brass also met with the lobby group last week to discuss the matter.
Government responds to AfriForum’s farm murder claims
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday regarding Cabinet meeting outcomes, Ntshavheni expressed concern over what she called “misinformation campaigns” by AfriForum, trade union Solidarity, and their allies.
The minister seemingly referenced the treason investigation being conducted by the Hawks, stating that the authorities were probing possible law violations.
“To prevent further misinformation, the South African Police Service met with AfriForum to clarify the allegations of white genocide with reference to farm murders,” she said.
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“At the meeting, AfriForum conceded that the crime statistics as released by the Minister of Police are accurate, including on farm murders.
“It is common knowledge that some of the farm murders are committed by people known to the farmers, including their own family members,” Ntshavheni added.
AfriForum accuses Ntshavheni of lying abour farm murders
However, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel denied Ntshavheni’s claims.
“The minister is blatantly lying; we never conceded that. In fact, we gave the police our statistics.
“But if they can lie about the statistics then they can probably also lie regarding what happened at the meeting,” Kriel told The Citizen on Thursday.
READ MORE: Mchunu defends crime stats, dares AfriForum to prove farm murders claims
AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for community safety, Jacques Broodryk, also responded, accusing the minister of sabotaging the organisation’s relationship with the police.
“I was in that meeting and AfriForum never once conceded that the minister’s stats were correct.
“In fact, we differed on quite a few of the stated farm attacks, whether they were farm attacks and whether they were not.
“We also had lengthy discussions about the definition of a farm attack as prescribed in the South African Police Service’s own rural safety strategy.
“And we agreed to have further discussions and to continuously discuss these topics and to have open communication channels,” Broodryk said in a video shared on social media.
AfriForum condemns anti-apartheid chant
Ntshavheni commented on reports that AfriForum has sent a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging him to condemn EFF leader Julius Malema for singing the “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” chant at a Human Rights Day rally in Sharpeville last week.
She pointed out that the letter had not been received by the president.
READ MORE: White privilege? AfriForum’s Kriel claims white South Africans are ‘second-class citizens’
The minister referenced a 2022 Equality Court ruling, which found that the anti-apartheid chant could not be considered hate speech.
A similar ruling was made by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in 2024.
“Singing it is not an incitement of violence,” Ntshavheni said.
New US ambassador appointment
Ntshavheni also commented on the appointment of Leo Brent Bozell III as the new United States (US) ambassador to South Africa, following the resignation of Reuben Brigety last year.
“The US is a sovereign state, so they have the right to choose their own ambassador; they don’t have to consult with us,” she said.
She explained that while Cabinet would not discuss the appointment, government would still assess Bozell’s credentials before accepting them.
“It is the responsibility of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation,” the minister said.
Ntshavheni later added: “Ambassadors get security clearance. Every country clears their own ambassadors as they get deployed in another country so that their credentials can be accepted.”
READ MORE: Trump lashes out at SA again as AfriForum thanks US president
Bozell’s appointment comes amid heightened tensions between South Africa and the United States.
US President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order cutting financial aid to South Africa, citing human rights concerns and the country’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The strained relations worsened following the expulsion of former South African ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, who was declared “persona non grata” over comments made about the Trump administration.
Additonally, Ntshavheni addressed claims that at least 71 000 white South Africans had signed up to relocate to the US in response to Trump’s offer of refugee status to white farmers.
“According to data from Agri SA, Stats SA, and the Department of Agriculture, South Africa only has just over 41 000 commercial farmers,” the minister stated.
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