Kudos to colleagues who exposed Sebastiaan Jooste, the man behind an X (formerly Twitter) account that has been spreading misinformation and lies about farm murders or “white genocide” in SA.
Jooste’s account had caught the attention of SA-born billionaire and US president Donald Trump’s advisor Elon Musk. The account, @twatterbaas, posted about the dangers of being a farmer in SA, spreading the false narrative that there is a white genocide taking place in this country.
An investigation by our competitor News24 revealed that Jooste had never owned a farm, but merely worked on his father’s farm, which has since been sold. The so-called genocide victim posts this propaganda from the comfort of a four-star guest house in Gordon’s Bay – also owned by his parents.
His account is one of many faceless X handles that drive the narrative that our government has adopted racist policies that have side-lined the white population. These accounts also make unfounded claims about the existence of land grabs, and that the government is allowing a large-scale killing of white farmers.
The unmasking of Jooste goes a long way in pushing back against lies that are being told about what is happening in this country. There exists a strong right-wing lobby that intends to retain the status quo in SA by pushing back against attempts to transform not just the economy, but the whole society.
This grouping was initially led by organisations such as AfriForum, Solidarity and the Freedom Front Plus. Since the last general elections – where the ANC lost its majority and the US saw subsequent return of Trump to the White House – the anti-transformation agenda has gained popularity. More and more people are coming out of the closet to argue for the scrapping of laws that are meant to undo the injustices of the past.
The silence of influential organisations and individuals who have folded their arms, pretending as if this debate does not exist, has been a major cause of concern. While the anti-transformation group is growing in numbers – with people like former swimmer Ronald Schoeman, former 5FM DJ Gareth Cliff, former DA MP Renaldo Gouws, and others, – not enough South Africans are speaking in defence of transformation and the dangers of maintaining the status quo.
Those who do are called lazy and labelled as supporters of a “racist” and “corrupt” ANC government.
South Africans should not be naïve to think the attacks on transformative policies are merely an attack on the ANC and its government; however, these are attempts to make sure those who control the economy are left unchecked, while the black majority continues to suffer in squalor.
There’s enough evidence to show that the majority of black South Africans are still side-lined from playing an active role in the economy. For example, a Stats SA survey published recently showed that white households reported the highest average annual income of R676,375, while the average income of black households stood at R143,632. Almost 40% of black South Africans are unemployed, while whites account for just above 8% . I won’t bore you about the land question, which is far from being resolved.
These statistics show the damage done by years of apartheid laws that relegated black people to a pool of poverty still persists. When such policies come under attack, it’s not tough ask to expect patriotic South Africans to rise and defend. We can’t rely on parties like the DA to come to our defence as it is currently in court challenging the Employment Equity Amendment Act – a law meant to hold employers accountable to ensure race and gender balance in the workplace and the employment of people with disabilities.
The silence of influential groupings and individuals gives credence to these claims – hence the Trump administration is able to repeat them, despite attempt by the SA government to correct them.
The ANC, as a party, has been missing in action. It’s a missed opportunity to launch a campaign to teach South Africans about our painful past, what has been done to resolve the imbalances, and why we still need these policies. Instead, ANC leaders are squabbling about who will inherit the carcass of the dying party.
Maybe there is an acceptance by Luthuli House that the party has lost so much credibility that no one would listen, which is a story for another day. That's why it's up to us to identify and expose Jooste and his ilk – and push back against the anti-transformation agenda.
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