Hundreds more 'refugees' could depart for the US as immigration row deepens
The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement listen to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar
Reports have emerged indicating that an additional 300 individuals are set to migrate to the United States, following the recent arrival of a group of 59 refugees on Monday.
However, the chief executive of lobby group AfriForum, Kallie Kriel, who still maintains that refugees, the scores of Afrikaners who have already had genuine reasons, says he is not planning to leave South Africa.
This is in stark contrast to serious allegations of human rights abuse levelled against the South African government.
During an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Kriel said that although the concerns raised by the Afrikaners were legitimate, AfriForum does not define the situation as 'white genocide' as certain politicians in the United States define it.
'The fact is, we don't use those terms, but there is a real problem. We have a situation in the country where the only category of crime that is called for, publicly, for instance, murders of farmers and Afrikaners with the 'kill the boer' chant.''
On Monday, soon after landing at Washington's Dulles International Airport, dozens of South African 'refugees' - some with children happily holding small American flags - were welcomed by US First Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau.
He was accompanied by Deputy Secretary of Home Affairs, Troy Edgar. Landau repeated the US allegations that the ''refugees' were subjected to egregious and targeted threats''.
Asked to elaborate on the claim, Landau replied and mentioned ''several vociferous politicians repeating things like 'Kill the Boer, Kill the Afrikaner''.
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Daily Maverick
19 minutes ago
- Daily Maverick
State's interdepartmental strategy to tackle hunger hampers South Africans' right to food — report
South Africans cannot hold a specific individual or department to account for the right to food not being realised because most of the national frameworks on food security are interdepartmental, says the author of the report released by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute. The report calls for the drafting of national framework legislation in relation to the right to food in the country. The government of national unity (GNU) in South Africa has highlighted food security as part of its broader social and economic policies. According to its Statement of Intent, the GNU aims to tackle poverty, spatial inequalities and food security by providing a social safety net and improving access to basic services. South Africa's National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security outlines strategies to ensure food availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability. The government has committed to promoting the right to adequate food, addressing hunger and improving food security through coordinated efforts across various departments. Despite South Africa being food secure at a national level, household food security remains a challenge, with increasing food insecurity rates in recent years. The GNU's approach includes social support initiatives such as household grants and school feeding schemes to mitigate these issues. In a report released by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (Seri) on Tuesday researchers recommended legislative and policy shifts that will help South Africans to have better access to food and potentially eradicate hunger. This is part of multiple recommendations that address other socioeconomic factors that create food poverty. The report recommends continued advocacy for the South African government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which serves as a complaints and investigative mechanism for rights violations, including the right to adequate food. The report recommends 'the drafting of national framework legislation in relation to the right to food in South Africa (e.g. a Food and Nutrition Security Act) in line with the recommendations under General Comment 12, as well as South Africa's National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security. This would set out the roles and responsibilities of the different actors in relation to food security in South Africa, including an interdepartmental body with oversight responsibility.' It also recommends that the updated National Food and Nutrition Security Plan be amended to address and monitor affordability and food pricing and enable people's economic access to nutritious food (the ability to purchase food as opposed to direct access, which refers to growing one's own food). The report, titled ' Food for Thought: Reflections on Food (In)Security. Laws, Experiences, Interventions ', aims to better understand how some of Seri's partners and client groups have been affected by, and responded to, food insecurity and hunger issues. Seri's research focused on the experiences of the leadership and of members as conveyed by leaders of the following partners: the Inner City Federation, the South African Informal Traders Forum, the African Reclaimers Organisation, the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agriculture and Allied Workers Union, the Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance and the Slovo Park Community Development Forum. Other recommendations call for an awareness of vulnerability of certain groups in society when creating, amending and updating policies that foster food security: 'Acknowledge food system workers, for example farm workers and informal traders, and ensure and monitor that they have fair and safe working conditions, and receive living wages. Acknowledge how women might be differently affected throughout the food system, for example as producers, workers and consumers, and incorporate specific interventions to attain greater gender equality. This could take the form of monitoring and increasing the number of women who have access to land for productive purposes, addressing unsafe working conditions due to pesticide use on farms and low wages/seasonal work of female farm workers.' The report further explains that sufficient funds have to be in place to implement these processes, which often need human and other resources to come to fruition. This is in line with the recommendations by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in its evaluation of the National Plan. The report took two years to compile, according to senior researcher at Seri Yvonne Erasmus. 'What is often missed is the issue of economic access, because food security has different dimensions, so national availability of food, whether food is nutritious, whether people have stable access over time, and a lot of the policy focus at government level is on the availability dimension. We do have more than enough food available nationally, we export a lot of our food and we waste a third of the food we produce.' Erasmus pointed out that economic access to food seems to be what the government is struggling to create a sound and sustainable plan for. Also, one of the challenges was that South Africans couldn't hold a specific individual or department to account for the right to food not being realised, because most of the national frameworks on food security were interdepartmental. Erasmus wrote the report and led the research, and legal researcher Michael Clark conducted the interviews and produced an earlier version of the report. The national organising secretary of the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union, Karel Swart, said he is not sure whether new laws and policy will change anything. He said the past 30 years were a 'complete failure'. Black economic empowerment had failed dismally under the ANC government. 'Farmworkers believe there was more food under apartheid. The current agriculture system does not work for the majority [only] for a tiny minority. I believe in reforms, but the current system must be replaced by a people-driven system… that caters for farmworkers and farm dwellers as well as for South Africa and the world.' Swart was a panellist at the launch of the report in Johannesburg on Tuesday and the union was involved in the data collection and providing experiences for the report. Swart echoed the sentiment that people need money to access food. 'The farms are lobbying the government to change the minimum wage and change the sectorial determination for farm and domestic workers. They want to hire and fire,' he said. 'They don't understand their actions on human behaviour. Children drop out from school in large numbers. Teenage pregnancies and sexual abuse are on the rise… violence and murder are also on the rise. All these things emanate in a country where hunger and starvation is on the order of the day.' DM

IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Mandela's grandson calls for charges against Afrikaners who have taken up Trump's resettlement offer
Mayibuye Mandela, great-grandson of the legendary Nelson Mandela, has called on the government to pursue legal action against 49 Afrikaners who claimed refugee status in the US. Image: Supplied Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandela, the great-grandson of Nelson Mandela, has called on the South African government take legal action against the more than 49 Afrikaners who have relocated to the US, saying they falsely claimed refugee status while fabricating a narrative of white genocide. In February, US President Donald Trump offered refugee status to Afrikaners, claiming they faced persecution in South Africa. The first batch of more than 49 arrived in the US in May, later followed by a smaller batch. During a meeting at the Oval Office in Washington in May, President Cyril Ramaphosa told Trump that there was no genocide in South Africa, adding that there was a crime and the majority of the victims were Black. Mayibuye Mandela said the claims of a genocide against Afrikaners was false and he called on the government, including the Department of Justice, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Home Affairs and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to pursue legal action against the group. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mayibuye Mandela claimed that their actions constitute offences under South Africa's Immigration Act, the Films and Publications Act, the Equality Act and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act. 'This is not just a matter of misinformation. It is a coordinated effort to destabilise our country and incite international hostility,' he said. Dirco spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said Mandela should open a case, saying the appropriate course for citizens who believe the laws of the country have been contravened is to report concerns to the competent law enforcement authorities. 'These authorities possess the mandate to investigate such reports and ascertain their veracity,' he said. NPA's spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga, said it was not fair to comment while there is no docket opened with the SAPS. Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza, also declined to comment as it was not clear which Immigration Act clauses have been breached, while Justice Department spokesperson, Terrence Manase, did not comment. Asked if he would open a case, Mayibuye Mandela said he had a discussion with his team and it has been concluded that a case should be opened. He said AfriForum and Solidarity must also be held accountable for their roles in 'orchestrating and promoting this false narrative'. He accused the two organisations of inciting racial division, defaming South Africa's constitutional democracy and 'betraying the principles that generations of South Africans have fought to uphold'. AfriForm said questions should be referred to chief officer, Kallie Kriel, who did not respond. Solidarity's head of public Liaison, Jaco Kleynhans, said the organisation views these allegations as 'completely unfounded and just another attempt to shift the focus away from South Africa's huge problems'. Kleynhans said Solidarity had never claimed that a genocide is taking place in South Africa but has long been providing evidence of serious cultural and economic oppression of minorities in the country. He said this amounts to a 'general cultural persecution that is beginning to take on dangerous levels and could lead to life-threatening threats in the future'. 'The US government has every right to grant refugee status to citizens of another country that it considers to be experiencing serious oppression or persecution." "Instead of attacking these people or the organisations they represent, we need to have a serious conversation in South Africa about the extent of absolute racial discrimination against minorities, the levels of violent crime that are occurring in our country, and what is needed to address these and other problems. He said Solidarity is in constant contact with the Trump administration. "We will not allow what is happening in South Africa to be swept under the rug or for defamatory allegations to be made about our position on important issues,' he said. Both AfriForum and Solidarity face a government investigation of treason, after allegations that they supplied false and damaging information to the US government regarding the treatment of white farmers. Minister in Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavehini, confirmed the investigation during a parliamentary session last month, warning that treasonous acts cannot be left unpunished. This follows calls from several political parties, including the EFF and MK Party, for the government to act against the two organisations following their visit to the US, where they engaged with Trump's administration.


Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
SA must seize opportunity of tectonic global shifts to remodel its economy
The GNU must use the global governance crisis and its chairing of the G20 as a catalyst for the country to reorient its incorporation into global production structures, remodel its economy, ignite social renewal and secure national self-reliance. Despite its success in restoring diplomatic and economic interaction between South Africa and the US, President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent encounter with his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, also inadvertently cast an unflattering spotlight on South Africa's problem of pervasive crime and governance failures. The globally televised Oval Office drama, broadcast in prime time, highlighted domestic troubles that successive post-apartheid governments have failed to tackle effectively. It was a huge wake-up call for the year-old government of national unity (GNU) and an inflection point for the country's democracy. South Africa is at a crossroads. It is caught in the middle of major geopolitical shifts and a global governance crisis, which has been amplified by the ascendancy of the Trump administration in the US, colliding with its internal governance failures. These governance failures are typified by a slew of social and economic problems that have hampered the country's progress. These include a stagnant economy, high unemployment, poor public education and health systems, dysfunctional municipalities and state-owned enterprises, decaying infrastructure, endemic corruption, appalling public finances, widespread illegal immigration, an unwieldy and underperforming public service and rampant crime. Decisions required This moment of global turmoil and domestic crisis calls on the country's political leaders to make decisions about its future. It requires the GNU to make tough policy choices that will extricate the country from its social and economic stasis and launch it on a path towards national renewal and success. South African leaders will do well to draw on historical lessons in terms of how the country can confront global adversity and propel a new growth trajectory. Take, for example, how the country responded to the destruction caused by the onset of World War 2. The war galvanised many countries, including South Africa, to accelerate manufacturing, starting with munitions, arms and other critical supplies. In the aftermath of the war, South Africa built its industrial capabilities and raised its agricultural productivity. The foremost public policy consideration for the government at the time was post-war reconstruction. The Van Eck Commission, as well as the Social and Economic Planning Council, were set up with briefs to produce policy insights that would shape post-war development. Their recommendations led to, among other matters, an increase in farm support, the creation of marketing boards for agricultural products and the expansion of manufacturing activities. The war acted as an anchor to ignite economic recovery, and import tariffs played a key role in nurturing the development of an infant industry. Medical supplies for military use were also produced locally. Structural change was manifest on several fronts in the post-war years, especially between 1945 and 1970. During this period, there was a strong emphasis on capitalising on the conditions created by the war to stimulate local production and build the country's manufacturing capabilities. This sparked a rapid increase in national economic output and the growth rate, which averaged 5%. Second, manufacturing eclipsed primary production as the main driver of growth. Third, there was a marked shift in demographic concentration from rural to urban areas. The growth of metropolitan areas stimulated demand for infrastructure, housing and other amenities. Various state-owned enterprises created in the 1920s through to the 1950s contributed to the development of a manufacturing path. Eskom was formed in 1923 to produce cheap electricity for the railways and drive industrialisation. Iscor was set up as a monopoly to maximise the processing of domestic ore and achieve vertical integration in steel production. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) was established in 1940 to offer cheap finance to spur industrialisation. The IDC was instrumental in the founding of Sasol in 1950, which was created to produce synthetic fuels, mainly from coal. Moreover, South Africa, under the Union Government, and later under the apartheid government, deployed industrial policy systematically. This combined tariff protection, import-substitution industrialisation and the creation of industrial champions anchored in cheap energy and steel to stimulate downstream production. Industrial financing was funnelled to benefit not only the manufacturing sector, but also agriculture. These policy actions were central to powering South Africa's industrialisation and to catapulting the country towards national self-reliance. This industrial transformation would not have been possible without visionary leadership, firm political will and effective governance. The state played a pivotal role in propelling South Africa's industrial development and securing the economic advancement of poor Afrikaners. Hendrik van der Bijl, a brilliant engineer and technocrat who served as Director-General of War Supplies in the government of General Jan Smuts, was the driving force behind the creation of Eskom, Iscor and the IDC. Other influential public servants and scientists of this era included Frans du Toit and Etienne Rousseau, respectively founding chairman and managing director of Sasol, as well as Hendrik van Eck, head of the IDC. Opportunities in 2025 The rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, coupled with a crisis of multilateralism, provides South Africa with the opportunity to change course. In the same way as their predecessors used a crisis moment to remodel the post-war economy, South African leaders must take advantage of the tectonic global shifts to implement long-delayed structural reforms and fundamentally alter the structure and growth path of the South African economy. This means, among others matters, growing the economy and removing constraints to doing business, supporting the development of new sectors including innovation-driven industries, accelerating the inclusion of small and medium enterprises in the mainstream of the economy, reorienting trade and foreign policies, reforming state-owned enterprises, revitalising socioeconomic infrastructure, curbing illegal immigration, clamping down on crime, overhauling the public service and rooting out corruption. Thanks to poor governance, South Africa missed out on opportunities to turn around the country's chronically underperforming economy and ensure that it fulfils its considerable potential, overhaul the flawed foundations of the country's social and economic structure and seriously tackle the underbelly of inequality, poverty and social exclusion. This was the case, for example, at the height of the global commodity boom in the early 2000s, in the aftermath of the 2008/9 global financial crisis, and in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic. The crisis of global governance, which coincides with significant geopolitical changes and South Africa's chairing of the G20, provides another opportunity. The GNU must use the intersection of these developments as a catalyst for the country to reorient its incorporation into global production structures, remodel its economy, ignite social renewal and secure national self-reliance. The South African government today, unlike the erstwhile Union Government, is not reeling from the ravages of a global military war. But it faces conditions akin to war. It, therefore, must respond with the same degree of urgency and purposeful state action to what has become a dire national emergency. However, it cannot do that in the absence of inspired and effective leadership, as well as strong state institutions. Without a meritocratic, competent, professional and ethical public service, South African policymakers will fail to implement far-reaching structural reform of the country's political economy. DM