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A South African court has ruled that claims of a “white genocide” in the country are “clearly imagined” and “not real” as it blocked a $2.1 million (£1.7 million) donation from a wealthy benefactor to a white supremacist group.
The high court declared the bequest by Grantland Michael Bray to the far-right Boerelegioen invalid, citing it as “vague” and “contrary to public policy.” Bray, who died in 2022, had reportedly wanted to fund the group to help “further its messages of racial hatred and separation.”
Court Ruling and Family Challenge
Bray’s four siblings—who are trustees and beneficiaries of the family trust—challenged the donation in court, arguing that their brother had become “obsessed with the idea of an impending genocide of white people in South Africa” in his final years.
Judge Rosheni Allie, in a ruling dated 15 February, noted that Bray had been influenced by racist ideologies and online content. The court found that his paranoia led him to align with the Boerelegioen, to which he had allegedly already donated about $326,000 (£258,000) in gold coins.
The Boerelegioen, which describes itself as a “civil defense movement” protecting white South Africans, has been accused of promoting racial hatred and training a private militia.
Trump and Musk’s Involvement
The ruling comes amid renewed claims by US figures such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk that South Africa’s white minority is being persecuted.
Trump has previously cited the “large-scale killing of farmers” and even pledged to allow white South African farmers to settle in the US as refugees. Musk, who was born in South Africa, has accused the government of enforcing “racist ownership laws” and has referred to the supposed “genocide of white people.”
However, local crime data contradicts these claims. While South Africa does not release crime statistics based on race, figures from October to December 2024 show that 6,953 people were murdered in the country. Of these, only 12 were killed in farm attacks—one of whom was a farmer, with others being farm dwellers or workers, most of whom were likely black.
Legal Grounds for Blocking the Bequest
The court found that Bray’s will lacked clarity, as multiple entities used the Boerelegioen name. It also ruled that the bequest violated public policy, as it sought to fund activities that undermined South Africa’s constitutional Bill of Rights.
“The only clear intention expressed was to use the funds for ‘training’ and to benefit an organisation Bray believed would ‘exterminate every black person in South Africa’ and defend against an imagined white genocide,” Judge Allie stated.
Bray’s siblings argued that allowing the donation would legitimize a group attempting to “train a private army with the express purpose of returning to apartheid.”
Boerelegioen denied these allegations, claiming they merely provided security services to communities without discrimination.
The court ultimately ruled in favor of Bray’s siblings, ordering Boerelegioen to cover legal costs.
Broader Political Context
The case unfolds against a backdrop of worsening US-South Africa relations. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order freezing financial aid to South Africa over a new law allowing land expropriation under certain conditions.
The issue of white South African farmers has long been a rallying cry on the American right, but the latest crime statistics suggest there is no systematic targeting of white farmers.
In contrast, the latest data shows that 961 women and 273 children were murdered over the same period—far higher numbers than those killed in farm attacks.
The White Genocide Myth: Why the US is Targeting South Africa?
