Did Whites Commit Genocide Against Blacks in South Africa? – Letters

Genocide: Annihilation of a race (Oxford Universal Dictionary)

The Original Email — from a reader in the United States

"I like your website and I saw your article about the SA Genocide... While it is a sad reality, it seems you have forgotten that the South African Blacks have been through an even worse genocide put upon them by Europeans over the last couple of centuries. The abject and unimaginable poverty/apartheid they experienced left horrible scars within the Black communities. They too experienced murder, rape and molestation along with starvation and a lack of education and medicine. Once a human being is treated this way, it is inevitable that they would begin to act out in very bad ways. The Blacks have survived sheer hopelessness and psychological trauma that will take decades to heal.

There obviously needs to be a healing for the Black South African, but this will take many years. So, what the white SA is experiencing is a sort of manifestation of the actions of their forefathers. This website seems to have a belief in God and forgiveness. The White SA should help the healing begin. Reach out to the South African Black. Share the wealth. End the AIDS epidemic. End poverty and hunger. End the psychological trauma. End hopelessness. Let the healing begin."

The Reply — by Shaun Willcock

Thank you for your recent email. I don't know where you live, although it's possibly in America. You said "it seems you have forgotten that the South African Blacks have been through an even worse genocide put upon them by Europeans over the last couple of centuries." This is factually incorrect.

Firstly, as a South African I am well aware of my country's history. Secondly, SA blacks did not experience a "genocide" under white rule. In fact, they enjoyed a standard of living far superior to blacks in other parts of the African continent. Granted, it was not equal to the whites' standard of living — but it is certainly not to be equated with genocide by any means. When the Jews suffered genocide at the hands of the Nazis, their population was greatly diminished. This was not the case in SA. On the contrary, the black population under white rule in SA exploded. Blacks were not massacred. Under apartheid they were certainly treated as second-class citizens, and that was wrong — but being treated as a second-class citizen is a far cry from genocide.

The Facts of History

The history of SA — indeed the history of colonialism in Africa in general — speaks for itself: despite its failings, colonialism brought much peace to African tribes which had been warring with one another for centuries. Along with colonialism came education, schools, hospitals, far better healthcare, and many other benefits. If indeed the whites had perpetrated genocide upon the blacks in this country, why do blacks outnumber whites something like eight to one?

Black South Africans today are suffering far more murder, rape, and molestation than they ever did under apartheid. Over 25,000 murders a year occur in SA — higher than any country in the world outside of a war context — and the overwhelming majority of victims are black. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of murderers are black too. These are the plain and straightforward facts, easily verified. In neighbouring Zimbabwe, when ruled by the white government in the 1970s, there was no starvation. Today, under the black government of Robert Mugabe, there is widespread starvation.

Personal Responsibility

You are also incorrect to say that what white South Africans are experiencing is a manifestation of the actions of their forefathers. No — men are responsible for their own actions. Whatever their ancestors did, that is history. It gives no excuse to men to act like beasts now. And again, the whites of the past were simply not — the vast majority of them — the monsters which they are portrayed to be by the liberal press.

Africa would be a whole lot worse off if the Europeans had never come here. Africa prior to European involvement was a place of witchcraft, cruelty, slavery, and degradation. And now, Africa after European involvement is reverting rapidly back to that terrible state of things — in one African country after another. It is not the fault of colonialism. Africa's problems are the creation of Africans themselves, and no amount of harping on about colonialism will make those facts go away. African leaders have swallowed vast amounts of foreign aid, siphoned it off into their own personal accounts while their people starve.

The Only True Healing

You wrote something rather incredible when you said "The White SA should help the healing begin. Reach out to the South African Black. Share the wealth. End the AIDS epidemic. End poverty and hunger." I agree that those of us who are white South African Christians should reach out to black South Africans — with the Gospel. That is the only true healing: the healing of the soul, which the Lord Jesus Christ alone can give. And it is available to all people, of all races. The Lord calls all people to repentance and faith in His Son. That is the message we must take to our neighbours, whatever their colour — not because we owe them reparations, but because they, like us, are sinners in need of a Saviour.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

In Christ,
Shaun Willcock
South Africa