Latest news with #RobHersov
IOL News
4 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Rob Hersov's inflammatory remarks reignite race relations debate in South Africa
Businessman Rob Hersov Image: Supplied South African businessman Rob Hersov ignited controversy when he fired a series of inflammatory remarks about the country's black population and the historical figure Zulu king Shaka during a recent episode of the American podcast "Thought Leaders." His comments drew widespread condemnation but have also reignited discussions about the delicate fabric of race relations in South Africa. Speaking on a platform associated with the conservative Epoch Times, Hersov referred to black South Africans as "barbaric." He also labelled Shaka a "rapist" known for throwing people off cliffs. Such statements were seen as promulgating deeply entrenched stereotypes and alarmist narratives regarding violence in South Africa. Hersov did not shy away from insisting that the country was plagued by two farm attacks each day and two murders of farmers each week. He asserted that farmers were three times more likely to be murdered than police officers, a statement that lacked reliable data or credible sources to back it up. His utterances aligned with the rhetoric associated with organisations like AfriForum, which faced accusations of misrepresenting the realities of farm violence, even though official statistics for the 2022/23 period told a different story. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading While Hersov claimed farm murders were rampant, reports indicate that 111 police officers were killed during that period. This was in contrast to AfriForum's figure of 49 alleged farm murders. Furthermore, a recent assessment by suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu revealed that, out of 12 farm murders in the last quarter of 2024, only one victim was white. Similar sentiments have been echoed by US President Donald Trump, who recently alleged that a "white genocide" was happening in South Africa. He proposed measures such as cutting US aid to the country and granting expedited citizenship to Afrikaners. Those assertions were rejected by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who, during a meeting with Trump, stated that the narrative of a white genocide does not reflect the realities of the nation. Ramaphosa underscored the South African government's dedication to democratic principles and freedom of expression while also stressing that extreme views do not represent state policy. "What you saw in the speeches made is not government policy. We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves," he stated previously. Political analyst Siphamandla Zondi denounced Hersov's claims as mere election-style rhetoric lacking substantive evidence. He noted that the narrative of "white genocide" serves to amplify fears and alarm without addressing the broader context of violence that affects all demographic groups.
Sky News AU
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Leftist governments slammed for ignoring plight of white farmers in South Africa
Businessman Rob Hersov says he has little faith in left-leaning governments to expose the challenges faced by white farmers in South Africa. 'I don't have much faith in leftist governments like Canada and Australia to actually say or do anything,' Mr Hersov told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'All we ask of the world, of the decent part of the world, is just tell the truth, just tell it like it is. 'Donald Trump and his administration, I have to salute them, and I wish Albanese would even stand up and put a spotlight on South Africa, but I don't have much hope for that.'
Sky News AU
02-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Most dangerous profession': White farmers face dire threat in South Africa
Businessman Rob Hersov emphasises the risk to white farmers in South Africa, labelling it as 'economic genocide'. 'Being a South African farmer is the most dangerous profession in the country,' Mr Hersov told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'You're three times more likely to be murdered as a South African farmer than as a policeman in South Africa. 'It's economic genocide, and the farmers are at the front end of that.'
The South African
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Dear President Trump: The ANC is destroying South Africa
South African capitalist activist and entrepreneur Rob Hersov has delivered a powerful open letter to US President Donald Trump and US ambassador-designate Brent Bozell, exposing the ANC's corruption, anti-American stance, and destructive governance. Hersov delivered the letter via a recent video uploaded to his Truth Report News YouTube channel. The video comes hot on the heels of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's trip to the US where he is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump in Washington DC on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in another video this month, Rob Hersov says South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth … America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant, and utterly self-destructive, he added. As always, Hersov pulled no punches. Full transcript below the video: South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth – America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant and utterly self-destructive. Let me give you the facts: South Africa is one of the top 10 countries that consistently votes against the United States in the United Nations. In 2018, South Africa's ambassador to Venezuela offered military support – military support – against a potential US invasion. The ANC has endorsed dictators like Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, Mugabe, Stalin, and even Mao Zedong. And in 2019, the US, UK, Germany and other countries warned South Africa to fix corruption or kiss investment goodbye. And what was the ANC's response? To call those countries imperialist threats and double down on their anti-West rhetoric. And in 2020, ANC members chanted, and I quote, 'One bullet, one American outside the US embassy in Pretoria.' And South Africa's embassy in Washington DC? It's essentially defunct, no ambassador for two years, pure diplomatic negligence. Mr Trump's Truth Social post 2 February was the first of many warning shots and yet the ANC did nothing. So let me give you the truth behind the numbers. South Africa's so-called non-aligned status is a lie. Publicly neutral, privately pro-China, pro-Russia, pro-Iran and cozy with human rights abusers. And what don't they want you to know? Well, the ANC is actively undermining Western partnerships. They've gutted our embassies, alienated allies and openly backed terror-linked groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. And the ANC take bribes from Iran to sue Israel and the ICJ. This isn't diplomacy, it's delusion. Free markets, crumbling, western values, rejected, and traditional principles? Traded for populist posturing and Marxist nostalgia. So here's the wake-up call. Why aren't more South Africans screaming about this? Because the ANC has wrapped itself in the liberation flag while torching the nation's future. The ANC has been bootlicking China and Russia while insulting the only countries that have ever offered us prosperity. But Donald Trump is back and he's watching, he's reading, he's listening, and he's getting ready. What's the bottom line here? Well, we have a path forward. The path forward is to fire the diplomats who can't do their job, rebuild our embassies with professionals, not cadres. And let's recommit to the West, because that's where the investment, the innovation, and the future lies. We know that, the majority of South Africans know it. The stakes? Well the stakes are high. Without AGOA we're going to lose 250 000 jobs, factories are going to close, farmers will go bankrupt, food security out the window. And the G20 Summit we're hosting this year is destined to be a humiliating disaster if President Trump and other important leaders boycott – which is likely. Other African nations are playing it smart. Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, even Zimbabwe, they're reaching out to America. They're making deals while we're burning bridges. South Africa doesn't have to be a failed state, but to save this country we need leaders with courage, not cowards in suits. We need the truth, not ideology. So here it is, loud and clear: Fix this damn foreign policy before there's nothing left to fix. Let's put South Africa first, at last. Robert Basil Hersov, born on 9 October 1960 in Johannesburg, is a business executive and entrepreneur. His grandfather, Bob Hersov, was the founder of AngloVaal, one of Southern Africa's largest mining and industrial companies. His father, Basil Hersov, ran the company from 1973 to 2001. The family sold AngloVaal in the 1990s. Rob Hersov serves as chairman and CEO (and founder) of Invest Africa, Chairman and Partner (and founder) of African Capital Investments. His parents are Basil Edward Hersov and Antoinette. Hersov matriculated from Michaelhouse in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. In 1982 he studied at the University of Cape Town and obtained a degree. In 1989 he obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and then became head of the European media investment banking team at Morgan Stanley in London. From 1989 to 1991 he was business development manager at News Corporation in New York for chairman Rupert Murdoch. After this he became a board member of the luxury goods company Richemont SA, and also managed FilmNet. He then became CEO of Telepiu Srl in Milan, Italy's largest pay-TV company, belonging to the Mediaset media group, where he was also a member of the board of directors, until August 1997. In 1999, he started his own business as an investor and entrepreneur. In September 1999, he co-founded Antfactory; in November 1999, he helped found In 2021, he acquired Fisantekraal Airport, west of Durbanville, and renamed it 'Cape Winelands Airport'. He aims to develop it into a vibrant airport and secondary hub for Cape Town. 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.
The South African
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Rob Hersov: 'South Africa just picked a fight with America'
In his most recent video, Rob Hersov says South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth … America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant, and utterly self-destructive, he added. As always, capitalist activist Hersov, speaking on his Truth Report News YouTube channel pulled no punches. Full transcript below the video: South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth – America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant and utterly self-destructive. Let me give you the facts: South Africa is one of the top 10 countries that consistently votes against the United States in the United Nations. In 2018, South Africa's ambassador to Venezuela offered military support – military support – against a potential US invasion. The ANC has endorsed dictators like Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, Mugabe, Stalin, and even Mao Zedong. And in 2019, the US, UK, Germany and other countries warned South Africa to fix corruption or kiss investment goodbye. And what was the ANC's response? To call those countries imperialist threats and double down on their anti-West rhetoric. And in 2020, ANC members chanted, and I quote, 'One bullet, one American outside the US embassy in Pretoria.' And South Africa's embassy in Washington DC? It's essentially defunct, no ambassador for two years, pure diplomatic negligence. Mr Trump's Truth Social post 2 February was the first of many warning shots and yet the ANC did nothing. So let me give you the truth behind the numbers. South Africa's so-called non-aligned status is a lie. Publicly neutral, privately pro-China, pro-Russia, pro-Iran and cozy with human rights abusers. And what don't they want you to know? Well, the ANC is actively undermining Western partnerships. They've gutted our embassies, alienated allies and openly backed terror-linked groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. And the ANC take bribes from Iran to sue Israel and the ICJ. This isn't diplomacy, it's delusion. Free markets, crumbling, western values, rejected, and traditional principles? Traded for populist posturing and Marxist nostalgia. So here's the wake-up call. Why aren't more South Africans screaming about this? Because the ANC has wrapped itself in the liberation flag while torching the nation's future. The ANC has been bootlicking China and Russia while insulting the only countries that have ever offered us prosperity. But Donald Trump is back and he's watching, he's reading, he's listening, and he's getting ready. What's the bottom line here? Well, we have a path forward. The path forward is to fire the diplomats who can't do their job, rebuild our embassies with professionals, not cadres. And let's recommit to the West, because that's where the investment, the innovation, and the future lies. We know that, the majority of South Africans know it. The stakes? Well the stakes are high. Without AGOA we're going to lose 250 000 jobs, factories are going to close, farmers will go bankrupt, food security out the window. And the G20 Summit we're hosting this year is destined to be a humiliating disaster if President Trump and other important leaders boycott – which is likely. Other African nations are playing it smart. Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, even Zimbabwe, they're reaching out to America. They're making deals while we're burning bridges. South Africa doesn't have to be a failed state, but to save this country we need leaders with courage, not cowards in suits. We need the truth, not ideology. So here it is, loud and clear: Fix this damn foreign policy before there's nothing left to fix. Let's put South Africa first, at last. Robert Basil Hersov, born on 9 October 1960 in Johannesburg, is a business executive and entrepreneur. His grandfather, Bob Hersov, was the founder of AngloVaal, one of Southern Africa's largest mining and industrial companies. His father, Basil Hersov, ran the company from 1973 to 2001. The family sold AngloVaal in the 1990s. Rob Hersov serves as chairman and CEO (and founder) of Invest Africa, Chairman and Partner (and founder) of African Capital Investments, and Chairman of the VistaJet Advisory Board. His parents are Basil Edward Hersov and Antoinette. Hersov matriculated from Michaelhouse in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. In 1982 he studied at the University of Cape Town and obtained a degree. In 1989 he obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and then became head of the European media investment banking team at Morgan Stanley in London. From 1989 to 1991 he was business development manager at News Corporation in New York for chairman Rupert Murdoch. After this he became a board member of the luxury goods company Richemont SA, and also managed FilmNet. He then became CEO of Telepiu Srl in Milan, Italy's largest pay-TV company, belonging to the Mediaset media group, where he was also a member of the board of directors, until August 1997. In 1999, he started his own business as an investor and entrepreneur. In September 1999, he co-founded Antfactory; in November 1999, he helped found In 2021, he acquired Fisantekraal Airport, west of Durbanville, and renamed it 'Cape Winelands Airport'. He aims to develop it into a vibrant airport and secondary hub for Cape Town. 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.
