AfriForum Rejects Treason Allegations Amid Political Tensions
By Thabo Mosia
Lobby group AfriForum has dismissed treason allegations filed against it by the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, calling them baseless and politically motivated. The MK Party lodged treason charges against AfriForum at the Cape Town Central Police Station on Monday, 10 February 2025, accusing the organisation of spreading misinformation to former U.S. President Donald Trump about South Africa’s land reform policies.
The MK Party claims that AfriForum’s lobbying efforts in the United States resulted in Trump cutting financial aid to South Africa and granting refugee status to Afrikaners.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has denied all accusations, stating:
“This is a concerted effort to take the blame away from those responsible, and those that have acted against the interest of the people in this country. They want to make AfriForum the scapegoat while they are responsible.”The Allegations Against AfriForum
The MK Party alleges that AfriForum actively lobbied Trump and his administration to intervene in South Africa’s land reform policies by making false claims about the government’s expropriation agenda. The party accuses AfriForum of the following:
• Spreading misinformation about land expropriation
• The MK Party claims AfriForum exaggerated the impact of the Expropriation Act to influence Trump’s foreign policy stance on South Africa.
• Claiming white genocide in South Africa
• AfriForum allegedly told Trump that there is a systematic genocide against white South Africans, a claim South African authorities and experts have repeatedly rejected.
• Influencing Trump’s Executive Order
• The party claims that AfriForum’s lobbying led to Trump signing an executive order that cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa and granted refugee status to Afrikaners.
MK Party Deputy President and former Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe strongly condemned AfriForum’s actions, stating:
“Their betrayal is nothing less than an act of economic sabotage, a direct assault on our nation’s independence, and a dangerous attempt to undermine the will of our people.”Legal Basis for the Treason Charges
Under South African common law, treason is defined as an act of hostile intent aimed at undermining the authority, sovereignty, or security of the state. The MK Party argues that AfriForum’s engagement with foreign powers to influence domestic policies fits the legal definition of treason.
Hlophe elaborated:
“The manner in which AfriForum has engaged the Trump administration in the U.S. meets this definition.”The MK Party also referenced past legal cases where South African courts have ruled that treason requires an overt act intended to undermine the state.
Hlophe continued:
“It clarified that mere opposition to government policies is not treason—there must be deliberate conduct aimed at destabilizing or coercing the state.”The MK Party is demanding that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) investigate and prosecute AfriForum, stating that such actions threaten South Africa’s national security.
AfriForum’s Response: “We Won’t Lose Sleep”
AfriForum has strongly denied the allegations and dismissed them as a political stunt aimed at diverting attention from government failures.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said:
“These allegations are absurd and will not cause us sleepless nights.”He further argued that the MK Party’s accusations are baseless, claiming that the organisation merely advocates for property rights and opposes land expropriation without compensation.
AfriForum has also hit back at President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC, blaming them for Trump’s decision to cut U.S. funding to South Africa.
A statement from the group reads:
“The ANC government, through its disastrous policies, is solely responsible for South Africa’s declining international credibility. AfriForum simply exposed these policies on global platforms.”
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