The truth behind the video of white crosses shown during Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump
A video showing 500 white crosses lining either side of a rural road and hundreds of vehicles participating in a peaceful protest was the focus during Wednesday's meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House.
President Ramaphosa was in Washington D.C. in the United States of America on 21 May 2025 for a working visit at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. Picture: Elmond Jiyane/GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - A viral video taken from a helicopter showing hundreds of white crosses along a rural road in South Africa was the focus during Wednesday's meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump.
The video formed part of a compilation shown in the White House during an official visit to the US by Ramaphosa ahead of talks to reset strained relations between the two countries.
The meeting falls on the back of claims that there is a white genocide against farmers in South Africa, specifically targeting Afrikaaners, who were recently granted refugee status in America.
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A video showing 500 white crosses lining either side of a rural road and hundreds of vehicles participating in a peaceful protest was the focus during Wednesday's meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House.
Trump: "It's a terrible sight, I've never seen anything like it. Both sides of the road, you have crosses. Those people were all killed."
Ramaphosa: "Have they told you where that is, Mr President?"
Trump: "No."
Ramaphosa: "I'd like to know where that is."
The video was taken on Saturday, 5 September in 2020 during a peaceful protest in Normandien, Newcastle in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
It followed the double murder of Normandien farmers, Glen and Vida Rafferty, who were killed on their farm by intruders - three of whom were subsequently arrested and sentenced between 2021 and 2022.
Three days after the murders, former Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the Rafferty family to prioritise the case and engage with locals.
"We are having about seven farmers since last year who have been killed, including the house breaking and it looks like we have made good progress."
The protest was held by local farmers in the region six days after the Raffertys were murdered, to raise awareness of farm murders.
There is no evidence to suggest the crosses in the video were in honour of specific farmers.