United States President Donald Trump’s recent executive order offering resettlement to white South Africans as refugees has been largely rejected by Afrikaner communities, who remain committed to staying in their homeland. The order, which cuts U.S. aid to South Africa, cites concerns over a new expropriation act signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, aimed at addressing historical land ownership disparities. The act seeks to redistribute land in a country where the white minority still owns the majority of private farmland, a legacy of colonial rule and apartheid-era policies. Trump’s executive order offers U.S. refugee status to “Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination,” but the response from Afrikaner groups has been overwhelmingly dismissive.
AfriForum, a civil rights organization representing Afrikaners, has rejected Trump’s offer, arguing that emigration is not a viable solution for their community. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel stated that while some individuals may choose to leave, the organization remains committed to advocating for Afrikaner rights within South Africa. The Solidarity Movement, a coalition representing over 600,000 Afrikaner families, also declined the offer, emphasizing their dedication to their homeland despite political disagreements with the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Orania, a self-sustaining Afrikaner-only enclave in central South Africa, echoed similar sentiments, reaffirming its commitment to preserving Afrikaner culture and autonomy within the country.
While many Afrikaners have dismissed the resettlement offer, some individuals see it as a goodwill gesture from the former U.S. president. Werner van Niekerk, a carpenter from Bothasig, expressed appreciation for Trump’s stance but did not indicate plans to emigrate. Others responded with humor, questioning whether there would be an “Afrikaner test” for resettlement and joking about Elon Musk’s potential support for Afrikaners relocating to the United States. Musk, a South African-born billionaire and Trump ally, has been vocal in his criticism of Ramaphosa’s land policies, calling them “openly racist ownership laws.”
Despite Trump’s claims of widespread persecution, South Africa’s government maintains that land reforms do not involve the forced seizure of white-owned farms. Instead, the new law seeks to correct racial disparities that stem from the apartheid era, during which millions of Black South Africans were forcibly removed from their land. Today, white South Africans make up just 7.2% of the country’s population of 63 million, yet continue to hold significant land ownership.
Trump’s intervention has been widely criticized by South African officials, who accuse him of amplifying misinformation spread by Afrikaner advocacy groups. The ANC has defended the land expropriation policy as a necessary step toward economic justice, arguing that land redistribution is essential to addressing the inequalities that persist nearly 30 years after the end of apartheid.
While Trump’s executive order has sparked debate, the response from Afrikaner communities has been clear. Rather than seeking asylum abroad, the majority of white South Africans remain focused on securing their future within the country, despite political and economic uncertainties. The rejection of Trump’s offer highlights the complex dynamics of race, land ownership, and historical justice in South Africa, as Afrikaners navigate their place in a rapidly evolving nation.
Source: Reuters, Aljazeera
