This article was first published by BizNews on 9 April 2025
Some truths are uncomfortable, but that does not make them lies.
AfriForum’s latest documentary forces South Africans to confront one such reality: racial laws discriminate against racial minorities, and the newly signed Expropriation Act presents a direct threat to property rights. These were claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump and dismissed by many as inflammatory, exaggerated, or outright false. However, AfriForum’s investigation, led by its Head of Public Relations, Ernst van Zyl, methodically proves that these concerns were well-founded.
The documentary opens with a stark reminder of the hostility that persists toward racial minorities in South Africa. It revisits the infamous Kill the Boer chant and features President Cyril Ramaphosa openly promising that land will be expropriated without compensation. This introduction sets the stage for the central question: Were Trump’s claims about South Africa based on fact or fiction?
What truly sets this project apart is its unwavering commitment to truth and factual evidence. Van Zyl avoids inflating narratives or creating sensationalism. He instead lets the statements and facts speak for themselves. Through a careful examination of historical records, legal developments, and direct quotations from politicians, the facts unfold naturally, offering an undeniable account of reality.
The documentary Is structured into two parts: the first addresses the persistence of racial laws, while the second delves into the Expropriation Act. Each powerfully dismantles the notion that concerns about these issues are merely reactions from fringe right-wing voices.
Van Zyl begins his analysis of racial laws by tracing their development in post-apartheid South Africa. He highlights significant legislative milestones, such as the 1998 Employment Equity Act, which imposed racial regulations across all sectors of the labor force, and the 2003 transformation of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) into Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). He Illustrates how racial quotas have been systematically woven into the fabric of society, affecting business, employment, and university admissions.
He presents a series of examples that demonstrate how these laws actively disadvantage racial minorities. From racial hiring quotas that restrict opportunities to race-based university admissions criteria that exclude certain students, the evidence is overwhelming. No matter how one tries to justify them, the effect remains the same: prioritising one group inevitably comes at the expense of another.
A striking example is the R100 million “Transformation Fund”, which exclusively supports black-owned businesses. This case makes it unmistakably clear. These policies are not about economic upliftment, but about racial exclusion.
Van Zyl’s argument is further strengthened by his interview with Martin van Staden, the compiler of the Index of Race Law. Van Staden explains that race laws do not have to explicitly mention race in order to be discriminatory. He exposes how South African legislation frequently employs coded language, allowing laws to function along racial lines without stating it outright. This insight thoroughly dismantles the argument pushed by race-apologists who insist that concerns about racial laws are exaggerated. The facts are indisputable. These laws exist, and their discriminatory nature is undeniable.
The documentary then shifts to focus on the Expropriation Act, maintaining the same commitment to fact-based analysis. Once again, Van Zyl does not need to rely on conjecture. He simply presents statements by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who has openly declared on several occasions that land will be expropriated without compensation. These are not misquotes or distorted soundbites. These are his own words, played back verbatim.
Critics frequently argue that concerns over expropriation are based on irrational fear, but this film makes it impossible to sustain this view. In a key interview, Theo de Jager, the chairman of the South African Agricultural Initiative (SAAI) and a respected voice in the agricultural sector, explains why the Act directly threatens property rights. He takes particular aim at the principle of “nil compensation,” exposing it as nothing more than a loophole to seize land without payment. If compensation can legally be set at zero, then property rights, by definition, are not secure.
As a farmer with decades of experience working alongside both white and black farmers, De Jager offers an invaluable perspective. While politicians debate land reform from their comfortable, air-conditioned offices, he speaks from firsthand experience. He acknowledges the need for agricultural reform but makes it abundantly clear that the Expropriation Act is not the solution. Instead, it will drive away investment and endanger farmers from all walks of life.
The documentary closes with a powerful final montage, including a clip of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema chanting Kill the Boer with supporters at a rally. There is also a notorious clip of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party MP Andile Mngxitama threatening to kill five white people for every one black person that is killed by the taxi industry. By the time Van Zyl delivers his closing remarks, there is no room for doubt: racial laws in the country are actively discriminatory, and the Expropriation Act poses a real threat to property rights.
For those who value truth over vibes, the conclusion is inescapable. Donald Trump’s statements about South Africa were not fiction. While his rhetoric may have been controversial and his delivery unpolished, the substance of his claims was entirely accurate. AfriForum’s work removes any space for denial. Those who continue to dismiss these realities do so not out of reason, but out of a deliberate refusal to acknowledge inconvenient truths.
AfriForum’s documentary does more than validate Trump’s claims. It exposes the ongoing injustices in South Africa. And for anyone who genuinely believes in fairness, that should be deeply concerning.
