A group of white South Africans landed on US soil this week, stepping off a plane as the first arrivals in a controversial immigration scheme backed by President Donald Trump.
The initiative, which has stunned South Africa’s government and sparked global debate, is being portrayed by the Trump administration as a humanitarian response to alleged threats facing Afrikaners – a claim South African officials reject as fantasy, as per BusinessTech.
Trump, now in his second term, has repeatedly claimed that white citizens in South Africa are being ‘dispossessed’ of their land and has vowed to offer them refuge. Critics say the president is stoking racial tensions and relying on false narratives that have been dismissed by international observers.
Adding fuel to the fire is Elon Musk – the billionaire entrepreneur who grew up in South Africa – who has echoed fringe theories on social media, including claims of a ‘white genocide’, a notion widely debunked but popular in far-right circles.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa isn’t amused. In public remarks this week, he described the group leaving for the US as ‘not refugees’, but individuals resistant to South Africa’s evolving democratic landscape.
‘Nobody is hunting them down,’ Ramaphosa told an audience in Cote d’Ivoire. ‘They’re not being victimised. They’re choosing to leave because they reject change — not because they’re being oppressed.’
South Africa’s government insists there have been no forced land grabs targeting white owners since the fall of apartheid in 1994. Instead, land redistribution has been slow, legal and often criticised by activists for failing to deliver justice to Black South Africans.
Still, right-wing organisations like AfriForum argue the opposite. The group, which advocates for Afrikaner rights, has applauded the resettlement effort. Its leader, Kallie Kriel, has accused the government of turning a blind eye to hate speech and pushing race-based policies that threaten the white minority.
The group cited new legislation signed by Ramaphosa last year that allows land to be seized in the public interest without compensation. Although the law hasn’t been enforced yet, AfriForum sees it as proof of an anti-white agenda. They also take issue with recent labour equity reforms that aim to align workplace demographics with national racial data.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is challenging these laws in court, calling them unconstitutional and discriminatory.
What’s behind the American president’s sudden interest in Afrikaners? Analysts suggest that Trump’s alignment with voices like Musk and groups like AfriForum is more about appealing to his voter base than any serious foreign policy stance.
By casting white South Africans as refugees, Trump plays into a narrative of ‘reverse discrimination’ that resonates with parts of his conservative support.
Diplomatic ties between Washington and Pretoria have been strained further by South Africa’s foreign policy, including its legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice and increasing cooperation with Iran — moves that have frustrated the US.
Despite the turbulence, Ramaphosa is planning to visit the US in an attempt to ease the growing friction. South Africa’s foreign affairs minister confirmed on Monday that preparations for the trip are underway.
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Picture: Frennie Shivambu / Gallo Images