Trump allies' fact finding mission on white farmers and genocide may not change US President's mind
US President Donald Trump's narrative on white farmers received a backlash from his ally, Pastor Mark Burns (right).
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Mark Burns, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has returned from a visit to South Africa with a message contradicting claims of genocide against white farmers in the country.
However experts believe that Trump always knew that there was no white genocide in the country and even if Burns advises the US President otherwise, this will not make a difference.
Burns, who is the founder and CEO of the NOW television network, met with white Afrikaner farmers and business owners during his trip and concluded that there is no evidence to support the claims of genocide.
According to Burns, the farmers he met were shocked to discover that such claims were being made.
"You were able to hear their perspectives.
"From their point of view, being white Afrikaners, there is absolutely no genocide or white genocide in South Africa," Burns said. He added that the farmers were more concerned about crime and safety, rather than genocide.
Burns cited statistics provided by a white farmer, which showed that out of 5,200 murders in the last reporting quarter, only 12 were related to farmers, and only three of those were white.
"You clearly see that based on those statistics, and this was given to me by a farmer, a white farmer, and that to me speaks extreme volumes," he said.
Despite the controversy, Burns is optimistic about the future of US-South Africa relations. He believes that a stronger South Africa is a stronger America, and vice versa.
"If we are going to continue to make America great, partnering with South Africa is one of the components to do it," he said. Burns
The question remains whether Burns' claims will change Trump's "belief" that there is a white genocide in South Africa.
International relations expert Rich Mashimbye said for a while, the SA-US diplomatic tensions centred around the Trump-led government's accusations that the Ramaphosa government, was persecuting white South Africans and confiscating land from Afrikaner farmers while remaining silent.
He said it did not matter what people said because Trump was aware there was no white genocide in South Africa but wanted to use the claim to get his way.
“As president of a country with one the largest embassies that is fully staffed in South Africa, Trump has access to all the information he requires about South Africa's transformation project and he likely knows that the issues of land reform and crime dynamics are not as has been portrayed so far.
“He knows that there is no genocide happening nor confiscation of white owned farms in South Africa. It is likely that the diplomatic attacks directed at South Africa are aimed at discouraging the Ramaphosa government from robustly executing the transformation project,” he said.
Political analyst Sandile Swana said Burns' public statements were encouraging and showed that not everyone in Trump’s camp agreed with him.
“To me they represent signs from the Trump’s camp...that they have to tell a different story, which they are now doing…and a different story they are now telling is that whatever crime that is happening, is not a genocide but just crime that needs to be attended to."
"There are about 600 American companies in South Africa such as Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, the Ford Motor Company and so on, so quite clearly the sources of information they have used (for the genocide claims) were not genuine.
He said the country should welcome the efforts of Burns and hope that his camp will start to change their narrative to a much more sensible one.
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za