Mbalula
By Thabo Mosia
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has condemned the United States’ decision to grant refugee status to 49 Afrikaners, calling it an affront to South Africa’s democracy. Speaking on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, Mbalula declared, “The African National Congress registers its firm rejection of the United States government’s decision to grant refugee status to 49 individuals self-identifying as Afrikaners.”
The statement comes amid heightened tensions, with US President Donald Trump alleging a “genocide” against white Afrikaners, a claim Pretoria vehemently denies. As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Summit in November, this diplomatic clash highlights deeper issues of race, land reform, and international perceptions of the country’s transformation journey.
A Diplomatic Firestorm
The controversy erupted when 49 Afrikaners, primarily of Dutch descent, arrived in the US on 11 May 2025, welcomed at Dulles Airport in Virginia by Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau. Waving small American flags, the group was granted refugee status under Trump’s February 2025 executive order, which prioritized Afrikaners as victims of “unjust racial discrimination.” Trump, speaking at a White House press conference, claimed they were fleeing a “terrible situation” involving land grabs and violence. “We’ve essentially extended citizenship to those people to escape that violence and come here,” he said, adding that he might skip the G20 Summit unless South Africa addresses these issues.
South African leaders swiftly rejected these claims. President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan on 12 May 2025, told Trump directly, “What you’ve been told by those people who are opposed to transformation back home in South Africa is not true.” International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola echoed this, stating, “They can’t provide any proof of any persecution because there is not any form of persecution to white South Africans or Afrikaner South Africans.” Mbalula’s statement reinforced this stance, asserting, “Let it be categorically stated: there are no Afrikaner refugees in South Africa. No section of our society is hounded, persecuted or subject to ethnic victimisation.”
Debunking the ‘Genocide’ Narrative
Trump’s allegations, amplified by his advisor Elon Musk, centre on claims of a “white genocide” linked to the Expropriation Act of January 2025 and isolated incidents of farm attacks. Musk’s March 2025 post on X, accusing the ANC of “actively promoting white genocide” via the “Kill the Boer” chant, garnered millions of views, fueling misinformation.
However, South African authorities and data paint a different picture. The “Kill the Boer” chant was ruled as free speech by a 2022 court, and farm murders—49 in 2023—account for less than 1% of the country’s 27,000 annual homicides, which predominantly affect young Black men in urban areas. “The crime that we have in South Africa affects everyone irrespective of race and gender,” Lamola clarified.
The Expropriation Act, designed to address apartheid-era land disparities, allows for rare cases of land seizure without compensation under strict judicial oversight. With 73% of farmland owned by white South Africans (7.3% of the population) compared to minimal Black ownership (81% of the population), the policy aims for justice, not retribution. “The clause allowing for expropriation without compensation would be used only in rare instances,” a government spokesperson explained, likening it to US eminent domain laws. No land has been seized to date, undermining claims of widespread dispossession.
ANC’s Call for Unity
Mbalula framed the US decision as a “cowardly political construct” driven by “right-wing, anti-transformation elements” seeking “impunity from transformation.” He invoked the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter, quoting its principle: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.” This ethos, enshrined in the Constitution, promotes equality and non-racialism. “What the instigators of this falsehood seek is not safety, but impunity from justice, equality and accountability for historic privilege,” Mbalula said, urging South Africans to unite against “destructive divisive narratives.”
The ANC’s stance resonates with broader sentiments. Prominent Afrikaner author Max du Preez called the resettlement “beyond absurd,” suggesting it reflects Trump’s domestic agenda rather than South African realities. “This is about Trump and MAGA, not about us. It’s about their hatred for DEI,” he said, referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Even Afrikaner groups like Solidarity have distanced themselves, with a spokesperson stating, “We love our country.”
AfriForum’s Counter-Narrative
AfriForum, a vocal Afrikaner advocacy group, has seized on the US decision to criticize the ANC. CEO Kallie Kriel called the exodus a “serious indictment” of the government, accusing it of “targeting Afrikaners” through the Expropriation Act and failing to condemn inflammatory rhetoric. AfriForum’s wereldwyd.co.za network is mobilizing international support, claiming over 8,200 Afrikaners have applied for US resettlement since April 2025.
However, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) noted that the 49 who left remain South African citizens under Section 20 of the Constitution, though contacting embassies could risk their US status.
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