The BBC has been accused of a “woke and Leftist” bias in its reporting on the alleged persecution of white farmers in South Africa. The broadcaster drew criticism from South African businessman Robert Hersov for its coverage of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, this week. Trump ambushed Ramaphosa during an exchange in the Oval Office with footage that included what he claimed showed white farmers queuing to pay their respects at an allegedly murdered man’s grave – suggesting it was evidence of a genocide of white farmers in South Africa.
The BBC’s analysis of the meeting described Trump’s allegations as a “choreographed onslaught” of claims that had been circulated “among Right-wing groups” and as “misleading information online”. However, Mr Hersov, who was born and grew up in South Africa and moved back permanently in 2017, said he thought the US President was “100% right” and that the BBC should be “disbanded” for its rejection of the genocide claims – labelling the organisation “Leftist and woke”, with “no nuance” in its reporting.
“What’s going on in South Africa, driven by the ANC [African National Congress], is evil, egregious, pernicious and a real threat not just to minorities in South Africa, but to Western civilisation,” he told The Telegraph.
“It is three times more likely to be killed in South Africa being a farmer than being a policeman… The most dangerous job in South Africa by far is being a farmer. The ANC government just brushes it under the mat and tries to dismiss it by saying South Africa is a violent country [and that] this is nothing special.”
A South African high court ruled that the claims of a “white genocide” in the country were imaginary in February, despite claims to the contrary repeatedly made by South African multi-billionaire Elon Musk on social media.
Ramaphosa was visiting the US in a bid to repair the fractured relationship between the two countries after Trump’s opposition to South Africa’s attempt to redress the historical injustices of apartheid. The country’s government has insisted that there is no evidence of white citizens being targeted and instead pointed to a wider, severe problem with crime, which it says is not racially motivated.
However, Trump’s administration has already withdrawn aid from South Africa, expelled its ambassador and extended refuge to white minority Afrikaaners on the grounds of racial discrimination.
During the White House exchange, the US President said: “You’re taking people’s land. And those people, in many cases, they’re being executed. They’re being executed and they happen to be white, and most of them happen to be farmers, and that’s a tough situation.”
After being shown clips of what Trump alleged to be black South Africans making racist speeches, Ramaphosa responded that it was “not government policy” and that he didn’t know the location of the alleged burial site.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
