Latest news with #Afrikaners
Eyewitness News
31 minutes ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
ANC's Mbalula hits back at Ramaphosa detractors following Trump visit
JOHANNESBURG – African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has hit back at President Cyril Ramaphosa's detractors following the highly publicised visit to Washington, DC, almost two weeks ago. Ramaphosa met with his United States (US) counterpart, President Donald Trump, at the White House in May in a bid to reset bilateral ties between Pretoria and Washington. ALSO READ: - Zuma: 'We refuse to have our problems fixed by Americans we don't even know' - Cabinet satisfied with Ramaphosa's working visit to US - Ntshavheni The visit came after a small group of Afrikaners relocated to the US, claiming to be persecuted in their home country. The false claims of genocide in South Africa sent Ramaphosa and his delegation of ministers, business leaders, golfers and labour leaders into a charm offensive. Speaking at the funeral service of Andile Zita in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, Mbalula told mourners that the South African delegation did well under the circumstances. "The president went abroad to that mental case in America, with many saying: 'No, don't beg him, don't beg him'. How can he not 'beg' him? Because if that person does something else like this, lots of work done will collapse. The mental case carried on displaying befitting behaviour and the president composed himself."
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Premature to claim White House encounter as a South African slam dunk
The exchange delivered no economic deal, it left exposed to the world some of the grimmest aspects of life in this country and it has exacerbated tensions in the GNU The local consensus is that President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the White House was a great triumph. Overwhelming though that consensus is, it's mistaken. The pre-trip narrative was that, firstly, the SA team would put President Donald Trump right about the 'fake news' that led him to grant refugee status to Afrikaners, caused him to mistake land redress for property confiscation and led him to confuse economic transformation with racial discrimination. Second, SA would make it clear it would not be dictated to on such 'internal matters', or in how it conducted its foreign relations. Nevertheless, the main goal, once Trump had been put in his place, was to walk away with a solid trade deal. That's not how it played out. ALSO READ: Was Ramaphosa heckling EFF's payback for White House embarrassment? To date, there has been no announcement of any trade deal. As far as we know, given that some of the meeting was conducted behind closed doors, the foreign affairs friction was not even mentioned. Instead, the hubris that underlies the ANC's strategy in dealing with the US has caused another diplomatic gaffe. Having had its previous US ambassador declared persona non grata because of rude remarks about Trump, it made the same mistake again. Ramaphosa chose Mcebisi Jonas, chair of MTN Group, as his special envoy to Washington. Not only did Jonas in 2020 make deeply insulting remarks about Trump, but MTN is embroiled in four US lawsuits in which it is alleged that the company knowingly helped Iran-sponsored terrorist groups. Jonas didn't attend the White House meeting, supposedly at 'his own request'. ALSO READ: Is it a deal, Trump? — SA's proposed trade agreement with US after White House visit The Presidency spokesperson has since conceded that 'displeasure' from the Trump administration was the reason for Jonas' absence and that Ramaphosa may have to find a new special envoy. As for the schooling of Trump, well, what a disaster that was. Far from being smacked down, Trump placed the issues of racial violence and expropriation of private property under a mercilessly harsh global spotlight. The media can do as much fact-checking as it likes to debunk the false narrative of a white genocide. Grassroots international public opinion doesn't care to make much distinction between whether genocide is already underway or merely in the throes of being orchestrated. Worldwide, ordinary people were appalled by the footage of 100 000 EFF supporters in pseudo-military garb promising to 'kill the Boer, kill the farmer''. IN PICTURES: Ramaphosa meets Trump at the White House Ramaphosa's failure to condemn the chant unambiguously was a huge opportunity missed. All he managed was the mumbled response that such violent chants were 'not government policy', that most criminal violence was against blacks, and that whites were not being 'disproportionately' killed. Far from being a victory, the Oval Office debacle has put under critical scrutiny issues – political violence, expropriation without compensation, race quotas in employment and investment decisions – that until now have been largely glossed over by the media. It makes for a deeply unflattering picture of South Africa in the outside world and, at home, it immensely complicates the power dynamics between the ANC and the DA, its major partner in the government of national unity (GNU). Despite Trump's bluster, shabby showmanship and sometimes reckless exaggerations, it's premature to claim the White House encounter as a South African slam dunk. The exchange delivered no economic deal, it left exposed to the world some of the grimmest aspects of life in this country and it has exacerbated tensions in the GNU. If this is a triumph, God knows what a defeat would look like. READ NEXT: White House showdown? Ramaphosa looks to 'reset relationship' with Trump next week
The South African
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The South African
SECOND group of white Afrikaner 'refugees' arrive in United States
A second group of white South African Afrikaners have reportedly arrived in the United States under a controversial refugee policy signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, sparking renewed global debate over race, immigration, and political messaging. According to posts from the US-based advocacy group Amerikaners , nine white South Africans landed in Atlanta this week as part of a pilot programme framed by the Trump administration as a response to alleged violence and land expropriation in South Africa – claims widely discredited by international human rights organisations. The executive order, quietly signed in February, granted refugee status to select white South Africans, citing fears of a so-called 'white genocide' – a term critics say is rooted in white nationalist rhetoric rather than verified facts. Organisations like Human Rights Watch and Africa Check maintain that while farm attacks do occur, there is no evidence of systemic targeting along racial lines. Among the recent arrivals is Charl Kleinhaus, 46, from Mpumalanga, who told the BBC he left his home, family, and dogs behind to pursue what he called a 'safer future' for his children. Another, 48-year-old Errol Langton, a farmer from KwaZulu-Natal, expressed hope to continue farming in the US. A source within the US government told The Hill that the goal is to resettle 'thousands more' Afrikaners by the end of the American summer, with consular processing already being expedited in Pretoria and Cape Town. This rapid acceleration has raised red flags. Critics say the policy selectively elevates a racially privileged group while overlooking far greater humanitarian crises in conflict zones like Sudan, Yemen, or the DRC. Still, right-wing US commentators have praised the move as a humanitarian response. South African reactions, meanwhile, remain split: some see it as a lifeline; others as a dangerous and racially charged distortion of the country's reality. Both the US State Department and the South African government have declined to comment publicly on the numbers or long-term intentions of the refugee programme. Analysts warn it could become a flashpoint issue in both domestic and foreign policy – particularly as the US heads into the 2026 election cycle. For now, however, the quiet arrival of these Afrikaner families marks the start of a broader, more contentious immigration experiment – one unfolding at the intersection of politics, identity, and international diplomacy. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
More Afrikaners take up Trump's resettlement offer, thousands of applications being processed
The second batch of Afrikaner refugees arrived in the US on Friday. Pictured are US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, during a meeting which aimed to clear misinformation about genocide claims. Image: Jim WATSON / AFP About 8000 applications have been made by Afrikaners to the US embassy to resettle in that country. The Afrikaners are taking up President Donald Trump's offer to resettle them amidst false claims of white genocide and persecution in South Africa. Another small batch of Afrikaners arrived in the US on Friday after an initial group of 49 left the country last month. Trump issued an executive order in February where Washington cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as one that enables the persecution of Afrikaners. Solidarity's Jaco Kleynhans said the second group departed on a commercial flight on Thursday that landed in Atlanta in the US on Friday. 'It is a smaller group, including children. Several more groups will fly to the USA over the next few weeks. The US Embassy in Pretoria, in collaboration with the State Department in Washington DC, is currently processing 8,000 applications, and we expect many more Afrikaner refugees to travel to the USA over the next few months. "They are settling in states across the USA, but particularly southern states such as Texas, North and South Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska,' Kleynhans said. Reports indicate that the US embassy in South Africa is aware that 'refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of the Afrikaner resettlement programme's ongoing operations'. Solidarity said it has helped some people understand the application process better and referred them to the right people at the US embassy. They have also assisted the US government in determining the criteria for Afrikaner refugee status. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'Our primary focus is not refugee status for Afrikaners, but rather to find ways to ensure a free, safe, and prosperous future for Afrikaners in South Africa. We remain 100% convinced that South Africa can and must create a home for all its people,' Kleynhans said. He added that at least 20% of Afrikaners have already left the country 'because if they stayed, they would have been unemployed'. Kleynhans said he was campaigning in at least ten countries to increase international pressure on the SA government in the run-up to the G20 summit. On criticism that this refugee path is politically motivated, Kleynhans said: 'The American refugee programs are paid for by American taxpayers and it is outrageous that international organisations and foreign groups think they can dictate to the Trump administration who should be eligible for refugee status. If Americans disagree with Trump on this, they can elect a different president in three years." Kallie Kriel, AfriForum's CEO, said he did not know the Afrikaners who were leaving because they applied directly to the US embassy. 'Our view is not to condemn people (who are) leaving, but rather to condemn the circumstances in the country that have led to this, such as hateful chants, like 'Kill the Boer'," he said. Kriel added that matters were compounded by the government, including the president and courts, which failed to condemn the chant. He acknowledged that everyone in the country has challenges, but said Afrikaners felt threatened by the open call for such violence with the 'Kill the Boer' chant. 'No community should be targeted through calls for violence. Also taking away the future of young people who now have to go into the labour market, but then are discriminated against based on their skin colour. 'We want to address that, and that is why we are vocal, because we want to make sure that South Africa truly belongs to all who live in it,' Kriel said. Professor Siphamandla Zondi, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg, said the US's welcoming of the second batch of white Afrikaners should not surprise anyone, especially in the absence of a change of US policy. 'We should expect more and more poor Afrikaners to take advantage of this to get a free pass to the US in search of basic jobs, which ordinarily would prove difficult to get visas for,' Zondi said.
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: IFP deputy chief whip's ‘assassination'
Here's your daily news update for Sunday, 01 June 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. In today's news update, friends, family and community members gathered at the Bloemfontein City Hall in the Free State to pay their final respects to Olorato Mongale. The 30-year-old was killed, and her body dumped, after she went on a date last Sunday in Johannesburg. This comes as the IFP calls on police to leave no stone unturned in their search for the killers of its Deputy Chief Whip, Khethamabala Sithole. Sithole was killed by unknown assailants on Saturday evening in Katlehong, Gauteng. Provincial Secretary Alco Ngobese was also injured in the shooting and is currently receiving treatment. Weather tomorrow: 02 June 2025 The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued a yellow level 2 warning for damaging waves between Cape Point and Plettenberg Bay on Monday. 'Heavy westerly to south-westerly swells, with wave heights of 4 to 4.5 meters, are expected between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay on Sunday, but between Cape Point and Plettenberg Bay on Monday,' warned the weather service. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. IFP want answers after deputy chief whip's 'assassination' IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said details around Sithole's death 'are still sketchy at the moment', but the party urged police to find those responsible for the murder. Picture: The Witness 'It is the IFP's expectation that the law enforcement agencies will spare no effort to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.' CONTINUE READING: IFP want answers after deputy chief whip's 'assassination' WATCH: Olorato Mongale remembered as 'light extinguished too soon', police vow action The Mongale family have questioned how a 'broken' justice system had allowed the men accused of kidnapping to be set free into society. Olorato Mongale. Picture: X At the service, Mongale was described as an adventurous young woman who shone brightly in all she did. 'She was not just talented but also a beacon of energy and promise 'Her light was extinguished far too soon. Her life was filled with dreams, laughter and love. Let us carry her memory forward. She has gone home,' family spokesperson Criselda Kananda told mourners. CONTINUE READING: WATCH: Olorato Mongale remembered as 'light extinguished too soon', police vow action Afrikaner 'refugees' continue to arrive in US on commercial flights – reports More Afrikaners reportedly continue to leave South Africa for the United States as part of the Afrikaner resettlement programme offered by President Donald Trump. Picture for illustration. A group of Afrikaners gathered outside the American Embassy in Pretoria to deliver a memorandum to US President Donald Trump. Picture: Nigel Sibanda /The Citizen Relations between South Africa and the US have been on shaky ground amid false claims of a white genocide from the Trump administration and the signing of the Expropriation Bill. CONTINUE READING: Afrikaner 'refugees' continue to arrive in US on commercial flights – reports 'Looting using matric papers': Why did NW printing job price jump by around R100m? There are concerns of possible 'looting' and corruption within the North West education department after it signed a new matric paper printing job that costs four times what it did last year. Anxious student sitting for examination in a school hall. Picture: Stock The department has disputed the amount, but revealed the actual amount is over R100 million. It justified the cost by saying it included not only printing but also other logistics like storage and distribution. CONTINUE READING: 'Looting using matric papers': Why did NW printing job price jump by around R100m? You can still play Lotto today, after last-minute announcement There will be no disruptions to lottery operations as Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has appointed a temporary licensee. Picture: Stock Tau announced on Saturday that he has concluded successful negotiations with Ithuba Holdings and signed a temporary licence agreement for them to operate the National Lottery and Sports Pool for a period of 12 months, effective from 1 June 2025. CONTINUE READING: You can still play Lotto today, after last-minute announcement Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Suspect cleared in kidnapping case| SA mourns journalist Andrew Trench| Tshwane water warning
