CAPE TOWN: White community organizations in South Africa firmly rejected an offer from former American president Donald Trump to grant the status and resettlement of refugees to Afrikaners in the United States.
Trump’s decision, formalized by an executive decree signed on February 9, interrupted assistance in the United States in South Africa on what its administration has described as “rights violations” against the population of white minorities, in particular Afrikaner farmers.
The executive decree accused the South African government of not protecting Afrikaners from violence and highlighted the controversial policy of the expropriation lands, which allows the seizure of agricultural land without compensation. The South African government, however, has strongly denied allegations, describing Trump’s claims “deceptive and baseless”.
Solidarity and Afriforum, two main organizations representing Afrikaners, quickly rejected Trump’s offer. Dirk Hermann, CEO of Solidarity, which represents approximately 2 million Afrikaners, said that its members did not intend to leave South Africa.
“Our members work here and they want to stay here,” Hermann said in a statement. “We are committed to building a future here. We are not going anywhere.
Kallie Kriel, the chief of Afriforum, echoes these feelings, declaring: “We do not want to move elsewhere. We will continue to work towards solutions in our own country. »»
The strong response from the Afrikaner leaders directly thwarts the representation of Afrikaners by Trump as a vulnerable group confronted with persecution.
The South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the sanctions imposed by Trump’s decree and rejected allegations of systematic violence against white farmers as disinformation.
“It is ironic to portray Afrikaners as an oppressed group when white South Africans, despite compensating only 7% of the population, continue to have a significant economic privilege,” said a government spokesman.
The administration of President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the land expropriation policy as a necessary step to approach the heritage of apartheid, which excluded black South Africans from land ownership for generations.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy. The representation of Afrikaners as a group facing an arbitrary deprivation is unfounded and dishonest, “added the spokesperson.
The offer of refugees and subsequent sanctions have aroused criticism from local South Africans. Sithabile Ngidi, a street seller in Johannesburg, questioned Trump’s statements, saying: “He should have come here to see what’s going on before talking about refugees.”
Despite the allegations of Afrikaner oppression, the data reveal economic disparities struck in the country. According to a 2021 report by the South African Human Rights Commission, 64% of black South Africans live in poverty, while whites remain the richest demography.
The South African government accused the Trump administration of distributing disinformation and ignoring the broader context of the efforts of agrarian reform aimed at redressing past injustices.
Observers believe that American sanctions and refugee supply have still complicated the debates already tense around the redistribution of economic land and inequalities in South Africa. Nevertheless, Afrikaner groups clearly indicated that they intended to stay and work for a future in their homeland.
