Zürcher Nachrichten - Reverse Apartheid" in SA?

EUR -
AED 4.310188
AFN 81.061016
ALL 97.671021
AMD 450.500371
ANG 2.100191
AOA 1076.08824
ARS 1476.841381
AUD 1.781792
AWG 2.115213
AZN 1.992647
BAM 1.957232
BBD 2.369383
BDT 143.046454
BGN 1.957631
BHD 0.442424
BIF 3497.443155
BMD 1.173488
BND 1.499329
BOB 8.109104
BRL 6.524125
BSD 1.173483
BTN 101.390726
BWP 15.661388
BYN 3.840391
BYR 23000.370646
BZD 2.357174
CAD 1.59822
CDF 3386.687314
CHF 0.93165
CLF 0.028413
CLP 1114.63754
CNY 8.419546
CNH 8.39578
COP 4767.448765
CRC 592.831075
CUC 1.173488
CUP 31.09744
CVE 110.347119
CZK 24.59115
DJF 208.757134
DKK 7.463732
DOP 71.033468
DZD 152.112333
EGP 57.602904
ERN 17.602324
ETB 160.342392
FJD 2.626502
FKP 0.868031
GBP 0.865324
GEL 3.180223
GGP 0.868031
GHS 12.263231
GIP 0.868031
GMD 84.49096
GNF 10181.577028
GTQ 9.00678
GYD 245.384704
HKD 9.211813
HNL 30.727605
HRK 7.536959
HTG 153.985907
HUF 398.800585
IDR 19102.570589
ILS 3.913777
IMP 0.868031
INR 101.338578
IQD 1537.257111
IRR 49418.525464
ISK 142.215165
JEP 0.868031
JMD 188.237678
JOD 0.831984
JPY 171.811012
KES 151.613781
KGS 102.53131
KHR 4703.540409
KMF 492.277514
KPW 1056.200528
KRW 1615.506366
KWD 0.358078
KYD 0.977911
KZT 631.539222
LAK 25297.041377
LBP 105144.143217
LKR 354.036487
LRD 235.287103
LSL 20.607036
LTL 3.465006
LVL 0.709831
LYD 6.345641
MAD 10.553554
MDL 19.843429
MGA 5183.901983
MKD 61.605846
MMK 2463.270178
MNT 4208.569568
MOP 9.487641
MRU 46.575661
MUR 53.217801
MVR 18.059016
MWK 2034.831641
MXN 21.838523
MYR 4.960926
MZN 75.056357
NAD 20.60686
NGN 1794.486614
NIO 43.182136
NOK 11.875215
NPR 162.229112
NZD 1.944133
OMR 0.451179
PAB 1.173483
PEN 4.182813
PGK 4.932671
PHP 66.591947
PKR 334.087825
PLN 4.254071
PYG 8789.428655
QAR 4.278084
RON 5.073927
RSD 117.179812
RUB 91.823465
RWF 1696.276807
SAR 4.402539
SBD 9.722462
SCR 16.598737
SDG 704.682998
SEK 11.176548
SGD 1.499372
SHP 0.922178
SLE 26.99012
SLL 24607.467502
SOS 670.587616
SRD 42.77012
STD 24288.838511
STN 24.518455
SVC 10.267641
SYP 15257.648307
SZL 20.597504
THB 37.766324
TJS 11.259575
TMT 4.118944
TND 3.425806
TOP 2.748424
TRY 47.473598
TTD 7.963791
TWD 34.373801
TZS 3024.666914
UAH 49.068917
UGX 4213.171303
USD 1.173488
UYU 47.175107
UZS 14908.094455
VES 140.190315
VND 30686.719
VUV 140.889944
WST 3.093419
XAF 656.451118
XAG 0.029748
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.171411
XCG 2.114838
XDR 0.815021
XOF 656.44552
XPF 119.331742
YER 282.752101
ZAR 20.595324
ZMK 10562.803211
ZMW 27.254515
ZWL 377.862753
  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • SCS

    0.2300

    10.7

    +2.15%

  • BCC

    1.9350

    89.085

    +2.17%

  • GSK

    0.9700

    37.99

    +2.55%

  • BTI

    0.0200

    52.24

    +0.04%

  • NGG

    -1.8500

    72.43

    -2.55%

  • BP

    0.4050

    32.925

    +1.23%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1200

    13.3

    -0.9%

  • AZN

    2.6900

    73.17

    +3.68%

  • CMSD

    -0.0400

    22.88

    -0.17%

  • CMSC

    0.0400

    22.51

    +0.18%

  • BCE

    0.1300

    24.51

    +0.53%

  • JRI

    0.0100

    13.22

    +0.08%

  • RELX

    0.4070

    53.087

    +0.77%

  • RBGPF

    -1.0000

    68

    -1.47%

  • VOD

    -0.0650

    11.255

    -0.58%

  • RIO

    0.1600

    64.49

    +0.25%


Reverse Apartheid" in SA?




Recent claims have surfaced suggesting that white South Africans face systemic discrimination akin to apartheid, a term historically associated with the institutionalised racial segregation of black South Africans by the white minority from 1948 to 1994. These allegations, often amplified on social media and by certain political figures, point to issues such as land reform policies, farm attacks, and affirmative action programmes as evidence of a supposed "reverse apartheid." This article examines the validity of these claims, exploring the socio-political context, economic realities, and lived experiences in contemporary South Africa.

The notion of apartheid against whites primarily stems from debates over land reform. In 2025, South Africa’s government, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, implemented a law allowing expropriation of land without compensation under specific conditions. The policy aims to address historical inequalities, as white South Africans, who make up roughly 8% of the population, still own a disproportionate share of arable land—estimated at over 70%—decades after apartheid’s end. Critics argue this policy targets white farmers unfairly, with some claiming it constitutes racial persecution. However, no documented cases of such expropriations have occurred to date, and the policy requires judicial oversight to ensure fairness. The land reform debate is less about race and more about correcting colonial and apartheid-era dispossessions, though its implementation remains contentious.

Another focal point is the issue of farm attacks, which some allege are racially motivated against white farmers. South Africa’s rural crime rates are high, with farmers of all backgrounds facing risks due to the country’s economic inequality and unemployment, which hovers around 33%. Data from the South African Police Service indicates that farm attacks, while tragic, are not disproportionately racial. In 2024, approximately 50 farm murders were recorded, affecting both white and black farmers, with motives often tied to robbery rather than race. Nonetheless, the narrative of a "white genocide" persists, fuelled by inflammatory rhetoric from figures like Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters, whose past chants of "Kill the Boer" have been widely condemned. Courts have ruled such statements as hate speech, and Malema has since distanced himself from inciting violence.

Affirmative action policies, designed to uplift historically disadvantaged black, coloured, and Indian populations, are also cited as evidence of anti-white discrimination. Programmes like Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) prioritise non-white hiring and business ownership to address the economic legacy of apartheid, where whites dominated wealth and opportunity. Some white South Africans, particularly Afrikaans-speaking Afrikaners, feel marginalised, claiming these policies limit their job prospects. For instance, in 2018, white employees at the Sasol corporation protested against alleged exclusion from bonus schemes. Yet, economic data paints a different picture: white South Africans still enjoy higher average incomes and lower unemployment rates (around 7%) compared to black South Africans (over 40%). The Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, remains among the world’s highest at 63.3%, reflecting persistent disparities that affirmative action seeks to address.

Social tensions also play a role. Many white South Africans report feeling culturally alienated in a nation where African languages and traditions dominate public life. Afrikaans, once a symbol of white authority, is less prominent in schools and government, prompting some to perceive this as erasure. Conversely, black South Africans argue that these shifts are necessary to reflect the country’s 80% black majority. Incidents of racism, such as black students reporting unfair treatment in schools, highlight that prejudice cuts both ways, complicating claims of one-sided oppression.

The "apartheid against whites" narrative has gained traction internationally, particularly in the United States, where former President Donald Trump in 2025 claimed white South Africans face "genocide." He offered asylum to white farmers, citing videos purportedly showing attacks. These claims were debunked, with South African authorities and independent analysts confirming no evidence of genocide. The videos, some dating back to the apartheid era, were misrepresented. Such international interventions often overlook South Africa’s complex reality, where poverty, not race, drives much of the crime and unrest. The country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established post-1994, aimed to heal racial divides, but its recommendations for economic justice remain only partially implemented, leaving both black and white communities frustrated.

South Africa’s challenges—high crime, unemployment, and inequality—stem from apartheid’s long shadow, not a new racial regime. White South Africans, while facing real anxieties about their place in a transforming society, retain significant economic advantages. Claims of apartheid against whites exaggerate isolated incidents and mischaracterise policies aimed at historical redress. The country’s path forward lies in addressing poverty and fostering dialogue, not in perpetuating narratives of racial victimhood.