Pretoria – Afrikaners for South Africa (AfSA), a group that describes itself as committed to South Africa, has criticised the planned display of 3,000 white crosses in Washington, DC, by South African advocacy organisation Lex Libertas, arguing that farm attack victims should not be used to advance a political campaign.
Lex Libertas has confirmed plans to display approximately 3,000 white crosses on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Saturday, 26 September 2026. The organisation says the crosses will carry the names of people murdered during farm attacks in South Africa.
AfSA said it condemns farm killings and violence against farming communities, while rejecting what it described as a portrayal of Afrikaners as victims of a broader campaign of racial persecution.
“We are Afrikaners. We unequivocally condemn farm killings and all violence against farming communities. Victims deserve justice, survivors need support, and rural safety requires urgent action.”
The group said its objection was directed at what it considers the political use of victims’ deaths rather than at efforts to remember those who have been killed.
“Our concern is that their suffering is being used to tell a misleading story and advance a private political agenda.”
Lex Libertas has said its White Cross Project seeks to draw international attention to farm attacks, political incitement, race based legislation and property rights. Its campaign also calls for greater decentralisation and self governance in South Africa.
The organisation’s official campaign states that the 3,000 crosses are intended to commemorate farm murder victims and bring attention to what it describes as a crisis in South Africa. It is also seeking international support for self governance reforms.
AfSA disputed the broader interpretation of farm attacks presented by the campaign, saying South Africa’s violent crime affects communities across racial lines, including black farmers and farmworkers.
The group said available research points mainly to robbery and other criminal motives behind farm attacks, while acknowledging that racial hatred can be a factor in some individual cases.
“The evidence does not support a campaign of racial persecution: South Africa’s violent-crime crisis affects every community, including black farmers and farmworkers. Research indicates that farm attacks are driven mainly by robbery and other criminal motives rather than by a coordinated campaign of racial persecution. This does not rule out racial hatred in a handful of individual attacks, but it challenges the picture the cross campaign presents.”
AfSA also questioned the connection between the White Cross Project and Lex Libertas’ wider political objectives.
The group pointed to Lex Libertas’ stated pursuit of self governance and said the political proposal should be considered separately from the deaths of farm attack victims. Lex Libertas describes itself as an advocacy organisation working towards a decentralised political system and greater self government for communities in South Africa.
“Grief is not a mandate for self-governance,” AfSA said.
The organisation questioned what practical outcomes the Washington display would produce for families and communities affected by violence.
“The organisers should explain what this spectacle will achieve for those still living with the threat of violence. Will it improve policing, speed up emergency responses, or provide lasting support for grieving families? Its success should be measured in those terms, not in headlines or political theatre.”
AfSA also raised concerns about the potential impact of what it described as a distorted portrayal of South Africa on tourism, investment and relations between communities.
The group said the issue had gained international political attention, particularly in the United States, and expressed concern that South Africans could bear the consequences of political campaigning conducted abroad.
“South Africans should not pay the price for a small faction’s political point-scoring and fundraising in America.”
The White Cross Project has expanded beyond the planned memorial display. Lex Libertas has organised a conference in Washington, DC, involving South African and American speakers, as well as people affected by farm attacks. The programme also includes a documentary titled Crossed Out: Confronting Persecution in South Africa.
Lex Libertas says the project is intended to bring international attention to farm attacks and other issues it associates with South Africa’s political system, while promoting what it describes as practical and long term solutions based on freedom, decentralisation and self governance.
AfSA said Lex Libertas does not represent all Afrikaners or South Africans and called on international audiences to consider a wider range of South African perspectives.
“Lex Libertas does not speak for all Afrikaners or all South Africans. We ask Americans to listen to a wider range of South African voices and, should they wish, support practical and honest efforts to reduce violence across all communities.”
Lex Libertas has maintained that its Washington programme is intended to honour victims, present evidence about conditions in South Africa and advocate for political and constitutional reforms.
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