DA leader John Steenhuisen has rejected claims that South Africa is facing a “white genocide”, saying the country’s real crisis is violent crime that hits every community.

What Steenhuisen Told the Media

Speaking to the Press Gallery Association on Thursday, Steenhuisen said “cold, hard statistics” do not support the genocide narrative. He said white South Africans are murdered, but so are black, coloured, Indian and South Africans of Asian descent. In his view, the phrase “white genocide” mislabels a wider national safety emergency.

Why Trump is in the Story

Steenhuisen’s comments followed renewed claims from US President Donald Trump this week that white people are being targeted in South Africa. Steenhuisen said Trump has been “fed a lie” about the country and is pushing an agenda that will not shift even when shown evidence to the contrary.

Crime and Rural Safety are Still Real

Steenhuisen said rural safety remains a serious concern and farm murders can be brutal. But he argued that focusing only on race-based claims distracts from the bigger job: reducing violent crime for everyone and fixing the systems that keep people unsafe.

Foreign Policy, Trust and the Economy

Steenhuisen also linked the debate to South Africa’s strained relationship with the United States. He said the deterioration did not start with Trump, but warned that recent decisions have weakened trust with trading partners and allies. He cited the Lady R incident and South Africa’s “exercise with Iran” as examples that, in his view, damaged confidence.

He said the US is missing an opportunity to partner with the continent’s most industrialised economy, adding that South Africa’s Constitution and Bill of Rights reflect democratic values the US claims to support. For Steenhuisen, the way forward is clearer national interest thinking that guides foreign policy choices and rebuilds trust.