A look at lives of Afrikaner refugees in US

IT HAS been three months since a group of Afrikaner refugees, primarily white South Africans of Dutch descent, fled to the United States under a controversial United States refugee resettlement programme.

- MASHUDU SADIKE

The programme, established by US President Donald Trump, aimed to provide a haven for Afrikaners who claimed to be facing racial persecution in South Africa.

In May this year, 59 Afrikaners boarded a chartered flight to the US, where they were welcomed by US officials and distributed in different parts of the country where they would be settling. About a month later, a dozen more followed.

While some of the refugees have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to start anew in the US, others have shared stories of struggle and frustration.

Charl Kleinhaus, a 47-year-old man who claimed he owned a farm in Limpopo, said that although life was safe in the US, he had to work like everybody else.

Kleinhaus moved to South Dakota after being sent to Buffalo, New York. He asserts he left because he received death threats, urging him to vacate his farm in Limpopo, a matter he reported to the police without success.

Kleinhaus highlighted the significant challenge of earning a living, noting the absence of domestic help for tasks like sweeping or cleaning.