City Press reports that civil rights group AfriForum and trade union Solidarity have welcomed the political pressure US President Donald Trump has placed on the ANC government, but have rejected the withdrawal of US aid and the classification of Afrikaners as refugees.
They were responding to the recent executive order issued by Trump, which halts foreign aid to SA and prioritises the resettlement of Afrikaners as victims of racial discrimination. Speaking at a joint press conference on Saturday, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel placed the blame for the situation on the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa. He said: “We blame Ramaphosa as well as senior ANC leaders and some people in government for what is happening now. This is indeed a crisis.” Kriel pointed to the recently enacted Expropriation Act, which Trump’s executive order criticised for enabling the seizure of Afrikaner-owned agricultural land without compensation. Despite welcoming Trump’s recognition of “discrimination”, Kriel said the organisation had not lobbied for any resettlement initiative and reaffirmed that Afrikaners saw their future in SA. During the media briefing, Kriel said: “We are indigenous to this country, and we are going nowhere … We want to show appreciation to President Trump and the US government for recognising the discrimination that Afrikaners face through racial legislation, the Bela Act, and threats to property rights. But we have to state categorically: we don’t want to move elsewhere.” Kriel emphasised that AfriForum sought recognition as an equal community in SA and intended to push for negotiations to resolve issues locally.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lunga Simelane and Sthembiso Lebuso at City Press (subscription or trial registration required)
- Read too, Afrikaners give a polite ‘no thanks’ to Trump’s emigration offer, at BusinessLive
- En ook, ‘Afrikaners se toekoms in Afrika’ – AfriForum, by Maroela Media
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