Afrikaners stand against Trump's refugee offer

A STATEMENT from a collective of prominent Afrikaans-speaking South Africans has rejected a recent move by the US government to prioritise white South Africans for refugee status, labelling the underlying narrative as “dangerous and false”.

- MASHUDU SADIKE

This group's condemnation, articulated in an article titled “Not in our Name: Afrikaners Respond to the Misuse of Their Story in US Politics”, published yesterday, has garnered widespread support, including a strong endorsement from the ANC.

The controversy stems from a perceived US decision to offer preferential refugee status to white South Africans, a move interpreted by many as an echo of far-right ideologies.

However, the signatories, comprising nearly 50 academics, church leaders, and other professionals, have vehemently distanced themselves from this framing, asserting their identity as integral to a diverse and evolving South African nation.

“We reject the US narrative that casts Afrikaners as victims of racial persecution in post-apartheid South Africa,” the group said in its response.