Mark Burns Pushes Back on ‘White Genocide’ Claims During South Africa Visit

It’s not every day that one of Donald Trump’s most prominent spiritual advisors walks South African soil, but when Pastor Mark Burns did just that, he brought with him a message that caught many by surprise: There is no white genocide happening in South Africa.

In a country often misrepresented in foreign headlines, Burns’ words landed with weight. After speaking directly with white farmers, former apartheid-era officials, and business owners, the American pastor found the story circulating overseas simply didn’t match the truth on the ground.

“They were stunned,” Burns shared. “Most of them didn’t even know this ‘white genocide’ narrative was making headlines abroad. It’s not their reality.”

Pushing Back on Dangerous Myths

The pastor’s comments come in the wake of a high-profile Oval Office meeting between President Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa. During that encounter, Trump claimed that white farmers in South Africa were being systematically killed and pointed to a video showing what he said were mass graves. The footage, it turns out, was misleading and taken out of context.

What Burns saw told a very different story.

“There’s no orchestrated attack against white South Africans,” he said plainly. “What I did find, though, was a nation grappling with deep poverty, widespread unemployment, and high crime that affects everyone, regardless of race.”

The Real Crisis: Crime, Poverty, and a Need for Change

Burns didn’t sugarcoat the challenges South Africa faces. Violent crime is rampant, and economic inequality is still a daily struggle for many. But blaming one group or imagining targeted extermination? That, he insists, is not only inaccurate — it’s dangerous.

He acknowledged that racially charged rhetoric, including songs like Kill the Boer, do nothing to help. But he was quick to point out that crime here is driven by socioeconomic conditions, not race.

“Crime isn’t checking skin color,” Burns noted. “People are hurting, and that pain doesn’t discriminate.”

Unity in the Face of Division

Ironically, Burns believes Trump’s controversial comments may have ignited something positive.

“There’s been a wake-up call,” he said. “South Africans — black and white — are coming together, calling out misinformation, and recognizing their shared humanity. This has forced the country to look in the mirror, and what they’re seeing is not a nation divided by genocide, but one deeply committed to healing.”

Burns also praised the dialogue that has followed the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting. He noted increased calls to improve public safety, revisit empowerment policies, and build stronger local partnerships — steps, he says, that were long overdue.

Ramaphosa Responds with Resolve

President Ramaphosa has made his position clear. He condemned criminality but emphasized that it is a national problem, not one tied to any specific race.

“The support we need from our global partners, including the U.S., is to help us strengthen our ability to fight crime,” he said. “This is about partnership, not paranoia.”

Trump’s Role in a Global Conversation

While many white South Africans were disheartened by President Trump’s comments, Pastor Burns believes the door remains open for understanding.

“They’re not angry. They think he was misinformed,” he said. “They’d welcome him here. If he could see what I saw, speak to the people I did, I think he’d walk away with a very different picture.”

With a potential G20 visit on the horizon, Burns hopes Trump might take the opportunity to engage with the country directly.

Misinformation Hurts, but Truth Heals

As his South African journey draws to a close, Pastor Mark Burns is walking away with a clearer perspective — and he’s hoping to bring that clarity back to America.

“This is a beautiful country,” he said. “Yes, it has problems. But what nation doesn’t? The people here are choosing truth over fear, unity over division. That’s the real story.”

It’s time we challenged the stories we hear and looked deeper before jumping to conclusions. South Africa deserves to be understood through its people, not through unfounded fears. Let’s build a world where facts lead the way — and where unity, not division, gets the spotlight.

{Source: IOL}

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