A far-right politician from Belgium, Tom Vandendriessche, had an exhibition about South Africa blocked by the European Parliament in September. The exhibition, titled "South Africa at Crossroads," aimed to expose the "mismanagement of the South African government and the fate of the Boer in the 'rainbow republic'." Vandendriessche, a Member of the European Parliament for the Vlaams Belang party, had planned to display 13 panels with information on the social and economic situation in South Africa.
The exhibition was blocked by Parliament officials at the last minute, citing concerns over the content, statistical data, and potential impact on EU-South Africa relations. Vandendriessche posted pictures of the panels on social media, which included headlines such as "Rape capital of the world" and "Illiterate children" alongside statistics. However, a fact-check by Daily Maverick revealed that the claims were often misleading, with selective context and conflation of information.
Vandendriessche's exhibition was inspired by a meeting with Jaco Kleynhans from Solidarity in 2025. Kleynhans told Daily Maverick that he had seen the exhibition beforehand and considered it "a 100% accurate reflection of the failing state South Africa is becoming." Vandendriessche's Vlaams Belang party organized a conference on South African policy in the European Parliament, which Kleynhans attended.
The exhibition's content has been disputed, with Kleynhans' former colleague Ernst Roets stating that "everything that isn't far left is far right" in response to a CNN report. Vandendriessche's politics have been criticized, with the Brussels Times reporting in 2024 that he has a "heavy flirtation with Nazism" and has been accused of misusing European funds.
Vandendriessche was expelled from the Flemish Nationalist Student Association for extremism, anti-Semitism, and a fascination with Nazism. In 2023, he faced criticism for publishing a photograph of himself making a White Power symbol with his hands in the European Parliament. Vandendriessche denied the allegations against him, calling them "completely devoid of truth."
The European Parliament's decision to block the exhibition was based on concerns over its potential impact on local government elections in South Africa and EU-South Africa relations. Vandendriessche had claimed that 62% of farm attack victims between 2019 and 2022 were white men, but the AfriForum report he relied on does not make this claim.
Vandendriessche's exhibition was part of a larger campaign to question EU financial support for South Africa. In March 2025, he co-signed a European Parliamentary question attacking the EU's €4.7-billion Global Gateway package for South Africa, asking how the commission could justify "support for a regime that allows racial hatred."
Key points
- The European Parliament blocked the exhibition due to concerns over its content and potential impact on EU-South Africa relations.
- Vandendriessche's exhibition was criticized for presenting misleading information on South Africa's social and economic situation.
- Vandendriessche's politics have been criticized for having a "heavy flirtation with Nazism" and misusing European funds.
