Afrikaners stand against Trump’s refugee offer and advocate for unity in SA

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 [e-mail]

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 on Saturday, 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," stated the group in their response.

They warned that this framing, now being used to support the far-right 'Great Replacement' theory in the United States, is not only misleading, but also dangerous.