During the last two months since US President Donald Trump fired his first shot across the bow at the South African government, we have found ourselves in the eye of a diplomatic storm, a storm that has exposed some of the ANC’s darkest secrets to the outside world. However, as the saying goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Not only were the uncomfortable realities of the Expropriation Act, race-based laws, and the “Kill the Boer”-chant revealed to outsiders looking in, but some disturbing revelations about power, propaganda and prejudice in South Africa were also made known to those living here.

Some of the most absurd social phenomena observed during this turbulent time were reactions to Trump’s comment that “very bad things are happing in South Africa”. Many of the wealthiest 1% of South Africans, predominantly from the liberal white demographic, rushed to social media to demonstrate that Trump is wrong by using their own cartoonishly luxurious lives as proof.

People were showing themselves parading around their suburban palaces, relaxing next to their luxurious swimming pools, or strolling in their lush gardens located in high-security golf estates – all accompanied by a sarcastic variant of the caption “Very bad things are happening in South Africa”, a bona fide South African “let them eat cake” moment fit for the social media age. The class divide was unmissable between those vulnerable and exposed to the horrors and injustices of South Africa under ANC rule and the privileged, insulated few preaching to the plebs not to believe their lying eyes.

Another disturbing revelation was how quickly and shamelessly false narratives and lies by omission were employed by politicians, academics and commentators in the mainstream media to do damage control on behalf of the government, and intimidate and shout down ANC critics, all to prevent the truth about South Africa getting out.

Investigative journalist Marie-Louise Antoni penned a phenomenal piece that meticulously outlined how the media rushed to the government’s defence by pushing its narratives in near lockstep. Nothing says ‟independent journalism” like the government publicly thanking you for your excellent service, as the Minister in the Presidency did at one point, right?

As Antoni aptly put it, “Under ANC rule the South African sections of the media have a long and unfortunate history of targeting citizens who speak out against race-based policies or violent crime; with some commentators seeing their role in such situations more as regime attack dogs, rather than watchdogs against the abuse of power.”

The chief rhetorical weapon employed against AfriForum and others exposing the destructive, discriminatory policies and extremist rhetoric of the ANC, EFF and others for the world to see, is the terms “misinformation” and “disinformation” – the latest commentariat buzzwords. Even some members of the former opposition, such as the Democratic Alliance’s John Steenhuisen, disappointingly parroted and reinforced the “misinformation” narrative on multiple occasions.

Those levelling this deceitful accusation have been for the past two months, despite numerous requests, woefully unable to provide a single shred of evidence to substantiate their hysterical claims that AfriForum is “spreading misinformation about South Africa”. Ironically, it is easy to provide numerous examples of genuine misinformation that has been spread about AfriForum.

For example, News24 recently unreservedly apologised to AfriForum for falsely claiming that the organisation calls farm murders a “white genocide”. Newzroom Afrika was also forced to similarly apologise to AfriForum. These are just the latest instances of major media outlets having to publish retractions and apologies to AfriForum for spreading blatantly false claims about the organisation.

One of the most disturbing developments in South Africa’s information war was the Hawks’ announcement that they have opened a High Treason investigation into AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Movement after representatives from these Afrikaner organisations met with senior officials in the Trump administration at the White House.

Their “criminal activity” boiled down to speaking out about the scourge of farm murders, the threat to private property rights posed by the Expropriation Act, demanding an end to the South African government’s racially discriminatory laws, and presenting the case that South Africa should not be kicked out of AGOA to the Americans. The stance that likely sent the ANC into full-blown panic mode was this delegation’s insistence that if South Africa is sanctioned, those sanctions should explicitly target the politicians pushing destructive policies and extremist and violent rhetoric.

The absurd degree of underhanded tactics employed against those who dare challenge the government narrative hit a new low when the head of Saai, one of South Africa’s largest farmers unions, and vocal critic of the Expropriation Act, Dr Theo de Jager, was – in true Stalinesque style – edited out of a photo in a government publication.

Lastly, the value of alternative media voices and social media platforms like X in breaking news, spreading the truth, and serving as a vector to challenge the alliance between the government and its lackeys in the media was once again emphasised. AfriForum’s detailed documentary outlining the South African government’s many race laws and threats to private property is a great example.

When the institutions and publications traditionally trusted to challenge the abuse of power, fearlessly pursue the truth and challenge false government narratives abandon this responsibility, someone must fill that void. Additionally, when opposition parties get coopted, as it appears is increasingly the case with the Government of National Unity (GNU), to assist with the execution and legitimisation of the ANC’s radical racialist, socialist, and anti-private property agenda, civil society organisations are forced to step up to become the new de facto opposition.

The past two months have been a crucible, and just like in a fiery crucible, the gold was separated from the other metals and impurities. Those individuals, organisations and parties who only oppose expropriation without compensation and racially discriminatory laws when it is convenient and a low risk politically exposed themselves. Simultaneously, those who are willing to stand by their core principles and values, even when the wrath of the ANC’s entire propaganda machine is unleashed upon them, were also revealed.

To the former, I hope your conscience gives you no rest. To the latter, I appreciate and salute you. If history is meritocratic, unlike the ANC, it will look back kindly on those who stood their ground. The Afrikaner writer and poet C.J. Langenhoven described a man of integrity as follows: He says what is true even in the presence of the devil; he does what is right even when the judge is absent; and he stays true to his conscience, even if he receives punishment instead of reward.

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