U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to resettle white South Africans as refugees has been widely rejected, including by Afrikaner organizations. While Trump cites racial discrimination and land reforms, most Afrikaners insist they are staying in South Africa.
Trump signed an executive order cutting U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns over land expropriation policies introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The order also opens the door for Afrikaners facing unjust racial discrimination to apply for refugee status in the United States.
The move follows South Africa’s land reform bill, aimed at addressing racial disparities in land ownership. Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers, still control a significant portion of the country’s farmland despite making up around 7% of the population.
Afrikaner organizations have largely dismissed Trump’s offer. AfriForum, a group that previously lobbied for international awareness of farm attacks, made it clear that relocation is not an option. "We don’t want to move elsewhere," said CEO Kallie Kriel. The Solidarity Movement, representing 600,000 Afrikaner families, also rejected the proposal, emphasizing their commitment to securing rights and economic stability within South Africa.
Even Orania, the self-sustaining Afrikaner-only enclave, refused the offer. "Afrikaners do not want to be refugees. We love and are committed to our homeland," the community said in a statement.
However, some Afrikaners welcomed Trump’s proposal. “It’s a very nice gesture,” said Werner van Niekerk, a carpenter in Cape Town. Others saw it as a potential opportunity, though few have confirmed plans to leave.
The South African government condemned Trump’s move, calling it politically motivated and based on misinformation. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) insists that land reforms aim to correct historical injustices, not unfairly target white landowners. Officials deny any plans for forced land seizures.
Trump’s proposal has divided opinion, but for now, the majority of Afrikaners appear set on staying, while some weigh the prospect of a future elsewhere.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged attacks overnight, with at least two people killed in strikes on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital's Military ...
Operations at several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia were suspended on Tuesday after attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces injured more than 70 ...
Female employees at the Eiffel Tower were asked to leave their workstations and step out of sight during a private visit by a Hindu religious deleg...
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Seven Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early on Monday morning because of volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak Krakatau, the transport minister said. One other airport in South Sumatra has been reopened.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, emerging as the strongest party in the eastern state and putting it closer than ever to forming a regional government.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged attacks overnight, with at least two people killed in strikes on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital's Military Administration said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region, Governor Roman Busargin said.
Female employees at the Eiffel Tower were asked to leave their workstations and step out of sight during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation, prompting a staff protest and an investigation by Paris authorities.
Fresh off President Xi Jinping's state visit to Kyrgyzstan, project officials have announced the successful drilling of a key tunnel along the long-stalled China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, making it the first construction milestone for a flagship Belt and Road project.
Fourteen men are on trial in Paris on Tuesday over the 2021 drowning of more than 30 migrants in the English Channel, the deadliest recorded migrant disaster in the narrow seaway between France and Britain.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 8th of September, covering the latest developments.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment