
Johann Rupert blames illegal immigration, crime for farm murders
Affluent businessman Johann Rupert has clarified that it's not just white farmers that are being killed in South Africa but the scourge is affecting everyone.
Ruppert is among President Cyril Ramaphosa's delegation that met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, 21 May.
The Presidency said the purpose of the visit is to reset and revitalise bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States. In this regard, the visit will focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations.
Despite the South African government disputing the white genocide myth several times, even through diplomatic channels, Trump insists that Afrikaners are under persecution in South Africa.
Last Monday, a group of 49 Afrikaners, including children, left South Africa on Sunday, 11 May, and landed in the US on Monday, 12 May. This, after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white farmers asylum, falsely saying they were being persecuted, and the South African government was confiscating their land and farms without compensation.
During the visit, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa and his delegation about farm murders and land expropriation without compensation.
He even went as far as handing out articles about farm murders and playing videos of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party singing the struggle song 'Kill the Boer, kill the farmer' and questioned why Malema has not been arrested for his utterances.
In response, Johann Rupert said the main issue in South Africa is crime and it doesn't affect white farmers only, but it's across the board.
'It's not only white farmers, it's across the board. We need technological help, we need Starlink at every police station, we need drones,' he said.
Rupert said the country has a serious problem of illegal immigrants and unemployment which contributes to the overall high rate of crime.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
Trump threatens Musk with 'serious consequences' in spending bill row
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump threatened his former advisor Elon Musk with "serious consequences" Saturday if the tech billionaire seeks to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill. The comments by Trump to NBC News come after the relationship between the world's most powerful person and the world's richest imploded in bitter and spectacular fashion this week. The blistering break-up -- largely carried out on social media before a riveted public on Thursday -- was ignited by Musk's harsh criticism of Trump's so-called "big, beautiful" spending bill, which is currently before Congress. Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk -- one of the Republican Party's biggest financial backers in last year's presidential election -- to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation. "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that," Trump, who also branded Musk "disrespectful," told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be. He also said he had "no" desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has "no intention of speaking to him." Just last week, Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship cracked within days as Musk described as an "abomination" the spending bill that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump's second term in office. Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe and from, there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned. With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both had appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters "I just wish him well," and Musk responding on X: "Likewise." - 'Old news' - Trump spoke to NBC Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Musk had alleged that the Republican leader is featured in unreleased government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while he faced sex trafficking charges. The Trump administration has acknowledged it is reviewing tens of thousands of documents, videos and investigative material that his "MAGA" movement says will unmask public figures complicit in Epstein's crimes. Trump was named in a trove of deposition and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case. "Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files," Musk posted on his social media platform, X. "That is the real reason they have not been made public." Musk did not reveal which files he was talking about and offered no evidence for his claim. He initially doubled down on the claim, writing in a follow-up message: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." However, he appeared to have deleted both tweets by Saturday morning. Trump dismissed the claim as "old news" in his comments to NBC on Saturday, adding: "Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it." Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump's "Make America Great Again" base allege that Epstein's associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others. They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself. No official source has ever confirmed that the president appears in any of the as yet unreleased material. Trump knew and socialized with Epstein but has denied spending time on Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex. "Terrific guy," Trump, who was Epstein's neighbor in both Florida and New York, said in an early 2000s profile of the financier. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."


The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Batohi could appear in parliament to explain allegations of corruption inside the NPA
Batohi's statements have ignited some curiosity on the challenges of the NPA. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wants the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi to appear before parliament next week to give more details about allegations of rogue elements inside the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). During an interview this week with a local broadcaster, Batohi said she was concerned that the NPA had been infiltrated by individuals who do not have the best interests of the rule of law at heart. She also said there were systematic challenges, but also internal and external agendas that affect the function of the NPA. The state lawyers have been under attack from both the public and political parties for mishandling major cases, especially those involving high-profile figures and politicians. In a letter to the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, the EFF stated that the NDPP must furnish Parliament with information on rogue activities at the NPA, if indeed they exist. 'We therefore respectfully request that the Portfolio Committee convene an urgent meeting on Tuesday, 10 June 2025, for the express purpose of engaging Advocate Shamila Batohi on her public statements and allowing Members of Parliament to exercise their oversight responsibilities. In the spirit of transparency and full accountability. 'Advocate Batohi must explain what she meant by infiltration, what forms of manipulation she is facing, what forces—internal or external—are hindering her work, and what corrective or protective steps have been taken,' the party said. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development should take responsibility for the NPA The party said it also wanted the Minister of Justice to be present at this meeting. 'The attendance of the Minister is essential, not only because section 179(6) of the Constitution requires that the Cabinet member responsible for the administration of justice exercise final responsibility over the NPA, but also because the potential political implications of the NDPP's statement need to be evaluated in the context of executive accountability. 'The Minister must brief the Committee on what measures are in place to safeguard the NPA from infiltration, how vetting is conducted for senior appointments, and whether any recent developments have prompted internal investigations or interdepartmental correspondence regarding institutional integrity.' The EFF said a weakened NPA isa poor reflection on the state. 'The NPA stands at the frontline of holding the corrupt accountable and ensuring justice for victims of serious crimes, including femicide, sexual violence, and complex financial crimes. 'If the prosecutorial arm is compromised, the entire justice system is compromised.' ALSO READ: A national embarrassment? 'Scorpions 2.0' bill pitched to save failing NPA Why is it so difficult to do this job? Meanwhile, Batohi had said she would meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa to express her concerns about the challenges the NPA faces. 'This is something that I am going to take up with the executive we need to understand exactly what is going on and why it is sometimes so difficult to do this job. 'Because you have all the challenges of the system, but you also have agendas externally and internally, this is a serious concern for me,' she said. NOW READ: NPA 'infiltrated by those against the rule of law' – Batohi says


Eyewitness News
10 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
'Return to your country' Kabul tells Afghans rebuffed by Washington
KABUL, Afghanistan - The Taliban government on Saturday urged Afghans hoping to emigrate to the United States to instead return to Afghanistan, after Washington tightened entry conditions. US President Donald Trump this week announced a travel ban targeting 12 countries, including Afghanistan, which his proclamation said lacked "competent" central authorities for processing passports and vetting. Commenting on the ban on Saturday, Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged Afghans to return to their country, saying they would be protected even if they worked with US-led forces in the two-decade fight against the Taliban insurgency. "For those who are worried that America has closed its doors to Afghans... I want to tell them, 'Return to your country, even if you have served the Americans for 20 or 30 years for their ends, and ruined the Islamic system'," he said in a speech marking the Eid al-Adha holiday, broadcast by state media. "You will not face abuse or trouble," he said, making reassurances that the Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had "granted amnesty for all". After surging to power in 2021, Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with the Western-backed forces and government. However, the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses. In the past four years, the Taliban government has imposed a strict view of Islamic law and restrictions on women which the UN says amount to "gender apartheid". Afghans fled in droves to neighbouring countries during decades of conflict, but the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops saw a new wave clamouring to escape Taliban government curbs and fears of reprisal for working with Washington. The United States has not had a working embassy in Afghanistan since 2021 and Afghans must apply for visas in third countries, principally Pakistan which has recently ramped up campaigns to expel Afghans. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, Afghans have gradually seen their chances of migrating to the United States or staying there shrink. Trump administration orders have disrupted refugee pathways and revoked legal protections temporarily shielding Afghans from deportation starting in July.