Three South Africans affected by farm attacks will address a conference in Washington before 3 000 white crosses are placed on the National Mall in remembrance of farm murder victims.

Three people whose families have been profoundly affected by farm attacks in South Africa will travel to Washington, DC later this month to tell their stories as part of the White Cross Project.

Amanda Platt, Heidie Taljaard, and Leon Lotz will speak at the White Cross Project Conference on 25 September. The following day, they will participate in a vigil on the National Mall, where organisers plan to display 3 000 white crosses in remembrance of people murdered during farm attacks in South Africa.

The project is organised by South African think tank and advocacy group Lex Libertas in partnership with the New York Young Republican Club.

Platt survived an attack on a farm outside Pietermaritzburg in August 2023, when six armed men attempted to enter the home she shared with her husband, Tim.

According to Lex Libertas, Platt was struck with a crowbar and stabbed with a spear during the attack. One of the attackers shouted “Kill the Boer” while attempting to drag her through a broken doorway. Platt escaped and raised the alarm before returning to the house because her husband remained inside.

Taljaard lost her parents, Dan and Breggie Brand, and her sister Elzabie during an attack on their smallholding near Hartswater in the Northern Cape in July 2020.

The three were abducted from their home and their bodies were later discovered in the veld. Taljaard will speak about the trauma, grief, and consequences experienced by relatives left behind after farm murders.

Lotz and his family have experienced several attacks over a number of years.

In 2010, eight attackers entered his in-laws' farm near Parys in the Free State. His father-in-law was murdered, his mother-in-law severely assaulted, and his wife, Adel, raped in front of their children. Lotz heard members of his family screaming over the telephone while travelling to the scene.

His testimony will focus on how repeated violent attacks have affected his family and his life as a farmer.

The conference will also feature Lex Libertas executive director Dr Ernst Roets, Free Market Foundation (FMF) chief executive David Ansara, FMF head of policy Dr Martin van Staden, advocate Mark Oppenheimer, and Politicsweb editor Dr James Myburgh, who is also a contributor to The Common Sense.

Speakers are expected to address farm attacks and rural safety alongside political incitement, race-based legislation, property rights, and expropriation without compensation.

Roets said the purpose of bringing victims and their relatives to Washington was to put human experiences alongside the political and statistical debate.

“The purpose of the conference is not merely to discuss statistics, legal arguments or political theory,” he said.

“It is essential that international audiences also hear directly from people whose lives have been changed permanently by the violence we are discussing. These are not abstract ideas or numbers. They are lived experiences involving real people, families, and communities.”

Lex Libertas says the White Cross Project is intended to increase international awareness of the challenges facing minority communities in South Africa and build support for practical and long-term solutions.