Racquel “Kelly” Smith received a life sentence for trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin, alongside accomplices Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn. The trio were also given concurrent 10-year sentences for kidnapping, despite Joshlin remaining missing. Evidence revealed Smith sold Joshlin to a traditional healer for 20,000 rand, citing the child’s desirable features. Judge Nathan Erasmus cited a lack of remorse from the defendants and the severity of the crime in imposing the maximum sentence.
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Racquel Chantel Smith received a life sentence for the human trafficking of her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin, who remains missing. Smith, along with her boyfriend and another man, were also given ten-year sentences for kidnapping. The trio were found guilty earlier this month, with testimony indicating Joshlin was sold for approximately $1,000 to an unknown individual for purposes of slavery or similar practices. The judge’s verdict did not determine Joshlin’s current location or fate.
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Prior to his inauguration, President Trump threatened South Africa with 100% tariffs if it pursued a new currency to challenge the dollar, a plan South Africa denied. Subsequently, the Trump administration cut aid to South Africa, expelled its ambassador, and then, during a White House meeting, falsely accused South Africa of committing genocide against white farmers, showing fabricated evidence. South African President Ramaphosa refuted these claims, highlighting the country’s high crime rate and seeking assistance from the US, a request Trump ignored. This incident exposed Trump’s deep-seated racism and disregard for truth, fueled by his advisor Elon Musk and aligning with Trump’s broader anti-immigrant and anti-diversity stances.
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Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa, fueled by manipulated imagery and debunked data, highlight a disturbing hypocrisy. His administration simultaneously blocks refugee resettlement from the Congo, ignoring real humanitarian crises, while selectively prioritizing a few dozen white Afrikaners. This action underscores the administration’s prioritization of a false narrative over genuine global suffering. The incident reveals a pattern of exploiting fabricated crises to appeal to white nationalist sentiment.
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President Trump presented South African President Ramaphosa with inaccurate evidence during a tense Oval Office meeting, claiming it depicted violence against white South African farmers. One image, purportedly showing burial sites, was actually from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while another originated from a white nationalist Facebook page. These misrepresentations fueled Trump’s ongoing accusations of anti-white sentiment and a fabricated “white genocide” in South Africa, further straining already tense US-South Africa relations. This meeting, intended to improve relations, instead highlighted existing divisions.
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During a meeting with South African President Ramaphosa, President Trump falsely presented a Reuters image from the Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of white South African killings. The image, from February 2023, actually depicted humanitarian workers handling bodies after clashes between M23 rebels and the Congolese army. Trump obtained the image from a conservative online magazine article that, while referencing South African racial tensions, misidentified the picture’s origin. The Reuters journalist who filmed the original footage confirmed its context and expressed shock at its misuse.
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During a White House meeting, President Trump presented evidence of alleged white South African genocide, including images from the Democratic Republic of Congo misrepresented as burial sites of white farmers and video footage of a memorial site falsely portrayed as mass graves. The video also featured inflammatory rhetoric from South African opposition politician Julius Malema, which Trump misleadingly presented as official government policy. These claims, which have circulated among far-right groups, fueled Trump’s offer of refuge to white South African farmers, a proposition that angered the South African government. The South African delegation strongly refuted the accusations.
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During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Trump presented unsubstantiated claims of “white genocide” in South Africa, using images and videos from other sources, including a blog post featuring a photo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trump cited various media sources, alleging widespread killings of white farmers, a claim Ramaphosa refuted, stating that while some opposing views exist, they do not represent the majority opinion. Despite Trump’s presentation of purported evidence, Ramaphosa indicated Trump remained unconvinced of the “genocide” claims. The meeting followed the U.S. granting asylum to 59 white South Africans.
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During a meeting in the Oval Office, President Trump falsely accused South Africa of “white genocide,” showing videos and articles he claimed as evidence. President Ramaphosa attempted to refute these claims, explaining that the videos depicted a minority party’s actions, not government policy, and that crime statistics didn’t support the genocide narrative. Despite interventions from Ramaphosa’s delegation, including his agriculture minister and a prominent businessman, Trump remained unconvinced. This incident occurred amidst strained US-South Africa relations, marked by reduced aid and diplomatic tensions.
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During a meeting between US President Trump and South African President Ramaphosa, Trump showed Ramaphosa videos and articles alleging a genocide of white South Africans, claims Ramaphosa refuted, citing high murder rates affecting Black South Africans disproportionately. Despite this, Ramaphosa sought to secure trade deals with the US, including favorable tariffs for Tesla and Starlink, while Trump pressed for exemptions from South Africa’s racial equity laws. The meeting’s outcome remains uncertain, complicated by Trump’s previous actions—including canceling aid and expelling South Africa’s ambassador—stemming from his disputes over land reform and South Africa’s legal action against Israel. The discussions also involved securing duty-free access to the US market for South African farmers under AGOA.
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John Q. Hosedrinker