"I feel so powerless, I wish I could do something for the country's farmers ... It's only when you create chaos that you are heard."
These are the words of an emotional Chris Loubser who recorded a message on his phone after his friend, Stellenbosch wine farmer Joubert Conradie, was shot dead. Loubser asked the "few people I know" to pass the message on to others to wear black on Monday to pay their respect to farmers who were killed this year.
Perhaps because his message is so sincere, it went viral, clearly hitting a nerve with a community who genuinely believe they are being targeted. But it did not take long for the campaign to become politicised. AfriForum joined in, saying its latest count of farm murders since January stood at 71.
The farming community came out in their droves to support #BlackMonday. Sadly, in many cases the old South African flag got dusted off for the event, and divisive posters such as "Don't kill the hand that feeds you" sparked anger instead of sympathy on social media.