Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa – On a wet Saturday in South Africa’s capital Pretoria, a number of hundred white Afrikaners gathered exterior the embassy of the US.
“President Trump and Elon Musk, please assist the farmers push back the [African National Congress] ANC takeover of South Africa,” learn a big banner hoisted above the group gathered to “thank” the US president for championing their trigger in opposition to their authorities.
On February 7, Donald Trump signed an government order providing asylum to white Afrikaners and reducing help to South Africa. The US mentioned it made the choice after Pretoria signed a regulation permitting the federal government to expropriate land within the public curiosity underneath distinctive circumstances and over the genocide case South Africa introduced in opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ).
The minority Afrikaner group are descendants of primarily Dutch colonial settlers who formalised the segregationist system of apartheid in 1948. Underneath apartheid, whites have been legally in a position to seize land and sources from the bulk Black inhabitants, who have been largely relegated to far-off “Bantustans” (segregated homelands) or overcrowded, ill-equipped townships.
Though apartheid resulted in 1994 when the ANC gained the primary racially inclusive democratic elections in South Africa, consultants mentioned financial apartheid persists with many Black folks nonetheless reduce off from land, sources and alternatives.
Information present that 73 p.c of privately owned land in South Africa is white-owned regardless of white folks comprising about 7 p.c of the inhabitants. In company South Africa, white people occupy 62 p.c of prime administration positions whereas 17 p.c of management roles are held by Black managers.
Regardless of this, consultants mentioned small teams of white South Africans, emboldened by right-wing lobbying teams, have been championing a story within the US lately that Afrikaners are those underneath risk.
On the rally exterior the US embassy, audio system urged attendees to “make South Africa nice once more,” echoing Trump’s Make America Nice Once more (MAGA) rhetoric.
Different individuals spoke of being on an “anti-woke mission”, aligning with broader international narratives surrounding identification and nationalism.
Willem Petzer, a well known Afrikaner commentator and organiser of the occasion, introduced a 26-page memorandum to US officers. It alleged that South African transformation laws aimed toward rectifying the injustices of apartheid is, in truth, discriminatory in opposition to the Afrikaner group. The US embassy mentioned it will ship the doc to Trump.
When Petzer took the rostrum, he was met with enthusiastic applause. He pointed to billionaire Musk’s Starlink satellite tv for pc community, which offers web service, alleging that it couldn’t function in South Africa as a result of “Musk must enable the state to expropriate 30 p.c of his firm with a purpose to do enterprise right here”.
The federal government has mentioned that isn’t true and the battle with Musk’s Starlink is as a result of South African laws requires corporations working within the nation to be 30 p.c Black owned to redress previous inequalities. Musk has tried to get an exemption from the rule.
The South African-born tech billionaire and shut Trump adviser is perceived by many as an ally of the Afrikaner trigger. He has repeatedly posted his outrage on X in opposition to what he claims is unfair remedy of white South Africans – even going so far as claiming a “white genocide” was occurring.
President Cyril Ramaphosa cautioned Musk this month in opposition to spreading misinformation relating to South Africa in a phone name.
‘I’m fairly privileged’
For a lot of South Africans, the gathering exterior the US embassy evoked recollections of apartheid nostalgia as individuals sang “Die Stem”, the nationwide anthem used throughout the years of racist rule.
Within the crowd, some supporters held placards that learn, “Trump, we’re coming,” responding to the provide of refugee standing for Afrikaners. Nonetheless, many wouldn’t say whether or not they would truly take Trump up on the provide.
Some consultants mentioned the edge for somebody to realize refugee standing within the US just isn’t met by Afrikaner landowners.
The US Immigration and Nationality Act defines a refugee as somebody unable or unwilling to return to their house nation on account of a well-founded worry of persecution primarily based on race, faith, nationality, membership in a selected social group or political opinion.
In the meantime, past the rally, most white South Africans appear tired of searching for asylum. Many acknowledge they expertise privilege not persecution in a democratic South Africa.
About 2km (1.2 miles) from the US embassy, the College of Pretoria buzzed with college students of all races, many born after apartheid ended 31 years in the past. Throughout apartheid, Black college students weren’t allowed to check on the establishment.
Marissa Jacobs, a 22-year-old scholar hailing from an Afrikaans group in Pretoria, mentioned she has by no means personally felt threatened as an Afrikaner dwelling in South Africa however she empathises with farmers who do.
“They really feel like they’re being attacked, and whereas it’s true that crime impacts all races, farm murders are occurring,” she remarked, referring to rural violence, which is a giant downside in South Africa however which consultants say impacts folks from all communities.
Jacobs praised South Africa’s truthful and progressive structure however criticised race-based transformation legal guidelines, expressing mistrust in the direction of the federal government.
“I do know the federal government says it gained’t take away folks’s land, however didn’t President Ramaphosa signal the Expropriation Act? I don’t belief them,” she mentioned.
As a final-year political science scholar, she has no plans to depart South Africa for the US and doesn’t personally know anybody who does.
Nicole du Plessis, who’s learning provide chain administration, mentioned she has no concept why folks would contemplate leaving South Africa for the US.
“I’m fairly privileged. I by no means felt any oppression in opposition to my tradition,” she added as two of her buddies nodded in settlement.
She additionally emphasised that crime is a common situation that impacts everybody equally.
Muimelele Metsiende, a Black scholar on the college, mentioned she doesn’t know anybody who would go away South Africa for the US.
“I don’t assume any Afrikaners would actually transfer to the US. I don’t assume this Trump factor is actual.”
She acknowledged ongoing challenges relating to racial integration however emphasised rising acceptance amongst communities.
Within the wake of the general public furore over Trump’s actions, youthful Afrikaners have additionally taken to social media to mock the asylum provide, posting parody movies that spotlight the privileges they get pleasure from in South Africa at present.
‘White supremacists in fits and ties’
Trump’s motion in opposition to South Africa was a fruits of fierce lobbying by the right-wing Afrikaner strain group AfriForum, which has sought an viewers within the US for greater than seven years.
As soon as considered a fringe organisation, AfriForum calls itself the biggest civil rights physique within the Southern Hemisphere. Nonetheless, a US civil society group, the Southern Poverty Legislation Middle, has referred to as AfriForum’s leaders “white supremacists in fits and ties”.
AfriForum has persistently lobbied US politicians for assist in opposition to what it referred to as threats in opposition to the Afrikaner minority by the bulk Black authorities.
The group’s narrative of white persecution first obtained in depth airtime throughout a US tour seven years in the past when its members met with lawmakers and appeared on platforms like Fox Information. Then-Fox Information anchor Tucker Carlson expressed sympathy for AfriForum’s trigger, amplifying the group’s message that the federal government may seize white land and white farmers have been mass-murdered due to their race.
Analysts and the South African authorities mentioned each assertions will not be legitimate.
Nonetheless, in August 2018, Trump tweeted his issues relating to land seizures and farmer murders in South Africa, reinforcing AfriForum’s alarmist claims.
Trump’s new unfounded claims that white South Africans are underneath siege – along with accusations of impending land seizures – have as soon as once more introduced AfriForum’s struggles to the forefront of worldwide dialogue.
Nonetheless, analysis performed by analysts like Nechama Brodie reveals that whereas violence – together with assaults on farm homeowners who are sometimes white, usually motivated by opportunistic crime like house burglaries – does happen, these incidents account for a really small share of the nation’s whole homicide charge.
“The truth is that what folks describe as ‘farm murders’ depend for often lower than 1 p.c of all murders in your entire nation yearly,” famous the writer and senior lecturer on the College of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Brodie mentioned the statistics present how worry is commonly rooted in misinformation and that the majority assaults are criminally motivated slightly than racially charged.
“This doesn’t imply these incidents must be accepted, however the scope must be contextualised.” Brodie argued that rhetoric from foyer teams like AfriForum exacerbates societal tensions slightly than contributes to options, emphasising the necessity for group cohesion slightly than suspicion amongst teams.
Fearmongering
Because the political panorama shifts, consultants mentioned the longstanding affect of AfriForum has enabled it to in impact weaponise fears surrounding authorities actions, making a narrative of imminent threats in opposition to white Afrikaners.
South African writer Max du Preez, who’s the founding editor of the Afrikaans newspaper Vrye Weekblad (Free Weekly), mentioned AfriForum continuously employs scare techniques to incite worry amongst Afrikaners relating to potential land seizures.
He believes its technique exploits susceptible populations slightly than addressing broader societal points.
“They scare themselves to dying when [Black politicians] speak about whites, and AfriForum pounces on this,” he noticed, noting that it serves to bolster their membership and affect.
He mentioned Trump’s provide of refugee standing to Afrikaners would enchantment solely to a tiny minority of poor Afrikaners as a result of many of the racial group has loved monumental advantages within the nation.
South Africa grapples with staggering unemployment – 36.9 p.c amongst Black South Africans vs 7.9 p.c amongst whites. Moreover, in accordance with a 2017 land audit, Black folks, who make up greater than 80 p.c of the nation’s inhabitants, personal solely 4 p.c of the land.
In opposition to this backdrop, Ramaphosa has defended the Expropriation Act, insisting that it doesn’t quantity to land confiscation however creates a framework for truthful and lawful redistribution. It permits authorities to take land within the public curiosity with out compensation in solely distinctive circumstances, resembling when the realm is uninhabited.
AfriForum, nonetheless, has argued that its claims relating to whites being focused are justified, pointing to feedback made by far-left politicians, such because the chief of the Financial Freedom Fighters get together, Julius Malema, who as soon as famously sang an outdated anti-apartheid track referred to as Kill the Boer. Veterans of the anti-apartheid wrestle mentioned the phrases will not be a name to kill white folks as a result of the “boer” (that means farmer) within the lyrics represents the oppressor on the whole. The track has been dominated to not be hate speech by South Africa’s courts.
In 2018, Malema additionally made feedback in a social media put up about “reducing the throat of whiteness”.
This month, Musk referred to as for sanctions in opposition to Malema after a video of him saying these phrases on the time resurfaced on X.
Malema dismissed fears of worldwide sanctions, saying he had by no means threatened white South Africans.
However Musk’s calls have been welcomed by AfriForum, which insisted Malema’s feedback have been examples of how critically underneath risk Afrikaners are in South Africa.
Such rhetoric continues to gas tensions within the nation, du Preez cautioned.
Making ‘right-wing concepts mainstream’
AfriForum has transitioned from a fringe motion to a extra mainstream group, framing itself as a protector of Afrikaner rights and pursuits, famous Piet Croucamp, an affiliate professor of political science at South Africa’s North West College.
This, he mentioned, has “made right-wing concepts mainstream”, resembling a false narrative of the perceived persecution of Afrikaners.
“It’s clearly with none substance and foundation. I do blame AfriForum for that,” Croucamp mentioned.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel insisted that the group just isn’t answerable for Trump’s actions in opposition to South Africa, arguing: “We didn’t say there was a white genocide.”
The organisation appears to be back-pedalling, saying Afrikaners couldn’t go away South Africa for the US as a result of their tradition could be underneath risk.
It as a substitute blamed Trump’s sanctions on South Africa’s authorities, saying it refused to guard white Afrikaners and additional antagonised the US by its overseas coverage positions.
“We shouldn’t be concerned in conflicts elsewhere on this planet,” he mentioned in reference to South Africa accusing Israel on the ICJ of committing genocide in opposition to Palestinians in Gaza.
On the pro-Trump rally in Pretoria, one member of the group shouted, “We assist Israel,” to some applause.
Trump’s government order in opposition to South Africa went past sanctioning the nation for its Expropriation Act and included lambasting South Africa’s place in opposition to Israel.
“We all know that feedback following the chief order, [the US] did point out the ICJ case in opposition to Israel and South Africa’s relations with Iran,” mentioned Thembisa Fakude, a senior fellow on the assume tank Africa-Asia Dialogues.
In response to the escalating geopolitical tensions, Ramaphosa introduced plans to ship a workforce of envoys to make clear South Africa’s transformation insurance policies, stating that the nation wouldn’t be bullied.
He mentioned South Africa stays dedicated to its assist of Palestine and is unwavering in its bid to implement the Expropriation Act.
Nonetheless, as diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US develop into strained, the potential for help reductions will affect programmes important for nationwide priorities, resembling HIV/AIDS remedy.