Calls have mounted for lobby group Afriforum to be held accountable for spreading lies about South Africa, which many feel directly resulted in US President Donald Trump signing an Executive Order over the weekend, cutting aid to the country and offering refugee status to Afrikaners.
The lobby group staged a successful visit to America back in 2018, when they were granted an audience with senior officials of the first Trump administration, and even appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show, a Trump favourite.
READ: Trump officially halts aid to SA, offers to resettle Afrikaner ‘refugees’
As news of Trump’s order spread on Saturday, so did the vitriol online, with many commentators urging the likes of Afriforum and their supporters to take up Trump’s offer and move to the US.
USA 🇺🇸 Sanctions South Africa🇿🇦
I love the ‘Afrikaner Resettlement Part’🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 #Afriforum, @kalliekriel here is a once in a lifetime chance for you guys to resettle to America. Please take it and Go guys🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/OBHcF5IeNV
— Pepper☝️☝️☝️ (@MrB_6969) February 8, 2025
Later that day, Afriforum hosted a press conference, seemingly backtracking on their ‘white genocide’ propaganda abroad, declaring, in essence, that there is no place like home, despite all the injustices Afrikaners face.
.@realDonaldTrump‘s executive order re the position of Afrikaners in South Africa: AfriForum, as the largest civil rights organisastion in South Africa, expressed its great appreciation for President Trump and the US’s recognition of the injustice to which Afrikaners are… pic.twitter.com/GvLrBevYOC
— Kallie Kriel (@kalliekriel) February 8, 2025
This further fuelled the backlash, with Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya suggesting online that President Cyril Ramaphosa would not meet with Afriforum as requested.
I wonder what this meeting will be about. @Kalliekriel, did you seek a meeting with the President when you exported your lies to the US in 2018? You caused a great deal of damage that you must reflect on and account for, klaar! https://t.co/TVyZPf0a4n
— Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) February 8, 2025
How it started vs how it’s going. pic.twitter.com/X7c9DJEjIN
— Africa Research Desk (@MightiJamie) February 8, 2025
Commentators have gone as far as calling on the authorities to charge Afriforum with treason.
Political parties have also entered the fray, with the MK Party signalling their intent to open a case of treason at the Cape Town Central Police Station. The GOOD Party’s Brett Herron says Afriforum must take responsibility for their actions.
“Their disinformation efforts have backfired and will hurt not only their members but the entire country. It is highly unlikely that white Afrikaans farmers will give up their land and lives of privilege to resettle in the USA as refugees. They will need to prove to the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) that they have been persecuted. There are rigorous interviews and background checks before being allowed to resettle in the USA as refugees.”
The ANC slammed Trump’s order, saying he is interfering in South Africa’s domestic affairs, which is an assault on our sovereignty.
SOUTH AFRICANS MUST DEFEND OUR NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY pic.twitter.com/1uTP5f80cC
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) February 9, 2025
The Non-Profit Organisation Public Interest SA also lashed out at Afriforum for peddling deliberate misinformation.
CEO Tebogo Khaas says Trump’s Executive Order is based on outright lies and racist propaganda.
“Trump’s executive order is steeped in hypocrisy, neocolonial arrogance, and racist fearmongering. It weaponises brazen falsehoods to justify an unjustifiable attack on South Africa’s sovereignty. The claim that the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 is designed to target “ethnic minority Afrikaners” is nothing more than a cynical distortion of facts, aimed at shielding historic injustices under the guise of human rights advocacy.”
Organised agriculture, AgriSA, has categorically stated that no land seizures are taking place.
But despite Afriforum’s detractors, the lobby group are unapologetic, placing the blame for Trump’s order squarely at the feet of the ANC government. Many of Afriforum’s supporters will agree.
It remains to be seen whether any Afrikaners will relocate to the USA as refugees. It seems unlikely, although plenty will try as the US State Department confirmed it would help the ‘abused’:
The United States stands ready to help the descendants of settlers in South Africa who are being expropriated and abused by the South African government. Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order, the State Department is suspending all non-life saving aid to the Republic of…
— Tammy Bruce (@statedeptspox) February 8, 2025
Many analysts believe the land spat may turn out to be a distraction from the real beef that Trump has with South Africa, its support for Palestine and BRICS membership.
South Africa 🇿🇦 represents humanity when taking Israel 🇮🇱 to the ICJ for genocide in Gaza 🇵🇸
Trump 🇺🇸 responding by suspending aid is another dark day.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s message in return should ring true for the whole world:
“We will not be bullied” pic.twitter.com/2fq60KTY9l
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) February 8, 2025
