South Africans Troll AfriForum’s ‘White Genocide’ Claims After Viral Journalist Post
- AfriForum’s latest messaging stirred a familiar online storm, but this time, South Africans answered fear with humour
- The moment highlighted long-running debates around crime in rural areas, and how data is used in public arguments
- Responses showed a mix of laughter and social commentary as users used satire to defuse tension
A viral joke in the Woolies cheese aisle opened the door to a national conversation about fear narratives, race debates and the power of South African humour online.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans flooded social media with jokes after journalist Max du Preez shared a post on 29 November 2025, poking fun at AfriForum’s long-running claims about fear among white farmers. The post was shared on X, where du Preez said he was going to Woolworths for bread and hummus and asked AfriForum if it was safe, making a sarcastic reference to being attacked in the cheese aisle because he is an Afrikaner. The post was aimed directly at AfriForum’s messaging around threats to white South Africans.
The conversation around AfriForum often centres on how the organisation presents data on violent crime affecting farmers. AfriForum has spent years arguing that incidents in rural areas are severe, while defending itself against government criticism about claims linked to a white genocide narrative. While officials have said AfriForum spreads damaging messaging about race, the organisation maintains it has never used that exact phrase and positions itself as raising awareness of violent crimes that impact farmers. AfriForum has repeatedly said that the well-known political chant sometimes heard at rallies amounts to incitement to genocide, not proof that a genocide is happening.
Online reactions mock fear narrative
The post went viral because South Africans understand humour as a political language, especially when dealing with heated subjects like race, identity and rural crime. The thread under X user MaxduPreez's post became a showcase for how users parody fear-based messaging by exaggerating it until it becomes ridiculous, which is a common form of resistance in local online culture. The more comments came in, the clearer it became that many users do not take extreme framing seriously and prefer to joke about the idea of being hunted down while shopping for cheese.
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Reaction in the thread reflected a broad mix of emotions, from laughter to sharp frustration with how race debates play out in public spaces. Many people used the post to mock the idea that everyday life for white South Africans involves danger in a supermarket aisle, while others used humour to point out that rural crime is real but shouldn’t be exaggerated for dramatic effect.
Source: Getty Images
Here's what netizens said
Gertrude O. Douglas wrote:
“I just got back from a breakfast meeting at a corner bistro in Johannesburg. Can confirm it looks like the genocide is on hold at the moment, so I’ve decided to shop for mimosa ingredients for the braai tonight. Might grab a Starbucks on the way.”
Vanessa Govender replied:
“This is nonsense, Max. Everyone knows if you’re going to get killed, it’s more likely to happen in the detergents aisle at Pick n Pay.”
Sanizwe said:
“I woke up with no electricity this morning, so I’m a bit angry. I normally slaughter one or two Afrikaners at Woolies when feeling this way. I wouldn’t risk it. It was worse during loadshedding.”
Chris Louw wrote:
“Be careful out there, Max. They may even try to expropriate your hummus without compensation.”
The-Maestro said:
“Don’t forget the signature bag.”
Kevon Shabangu commented:
“You should be safe. Weekends are for land grabs, not murder.”
Winnie wrote:
“We take weekends off, so you should be fine. We’ll also be closed from 12 December and kicking back up on 6 January 2026. Just letting you know so you can plan accordingly.”
Nomboniso Gasa said:
“You’re safe because we’ve pressed pause on killing white people this weekend. We’ll give you a delicious hummus recipe. We are busy consolidating race laws.”
Check out the X post below:
3 Other Briefly News stories related to Afriforum
- AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel announced that the organisation will be opening a case against Senzo Mchunu's Chief of Staff, Cedric Nkabinde.
- AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has shared his stance on claims that there is a white genocide in South Africa.
- The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, called AfriForum out for challenging the latest crime statistics.
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Source: Briefly News
