Latest news with #ExpropriationAct13of2024
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
More Afrikaners leave for the US
US President Donald Trump. Image: AFP US president Donald Trump was aware there was no white genocide in South Africa but wanted to use the claim to get his way. This was the view of International relations expert Rich Mashimbye who asserted that even if Trump was advised otherwise, it would not make a difference. This comes as Mark Burns, a close ally of Trump, returned from a visit to South Africa with a message contradicting claims of genocide against white farmers in the country. Burns, who is the founder and CEO of the NOW television network, met with white Afrikaner farmers and business owners during his trip and concluded that there was no evidence to support the claims of genocide. It also comes as a second, small batch of white Afrikaners quietly arrived in the US on Friday as part of Trump's offer to resettle them amidst false claims of white genocide and persecution in South Africa. While spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Chrispin Phiri said they are not aware of the second batch of Afrikaners landing in the US, trade union Solidarity said the group, smaller than the first to arrive in the US, included children. Last month the first group of more than 49 white South African Afrikaners landed in the US after a private plane was chartered for them. Trump in February had issued an executive order where Washington cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as one that enables the persecution of Afrikaners. Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said the second group departed on a commercial flight on Thursday that landed in Atlanta in the US on Friday. '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 8000 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. President Cyril Ramaphosa had attempted to fend off false claims of white genocide in South Africa when Trump ambushed him with videos and articles to prove his narrative that white farmers were being targeted for their land. The unexpected stunt turned the usually staid diplomatic setting of the Oval Office into a stage for Trump's contention that white South Africans are being persecuted. Reports indicate that the US embassy in South Africa is aware that 'refugees continue to arrive in the US 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. 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. Kallie Kriel, AfriForum's CEO, said he did not know the Afrikaners who were leaving because they applied directly to the US embassy. According to Mashimbye, for a while, the SA-US diplomatic tensions centred around the Trump-led government's accusations that the Ramaphosa government was persecuting white South Africans and confiscating land from Afrikaner farmers while remaining silent. He said it did not matter what people said because Trump was aware there was no white genocide in South Africa but wanted to use the claim to get his way. 'As president of a country with one the largest embassies that is fully staffed in South Africa, Trump has access to all the information he requires about South Africa's transformation project and he likely knows that the issues of land reform and crime dynamics are not as has been portrayed so far. 'He knows that there is no genocide happening nor confiscation of white-owned farms in South Africa. It is likely that the diplomatic attacks directed at South Africa are aimed at discouraging the Ramaphosa government from robustly executing the transformation project,' he said. Political analyst Sandile Swana said Burns' public statements were encouraging and showed that not everyone in Trump's camp agreed with him. 'To me they represent signs from the Trump's camp… that they have to tell a different story, which they are now doing…and a different story they are now telling is that whatever crime that is happening, is not a genocide but just crime that needs to be attended to." Cape Times
IOL News
3 days 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.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Second group of white Afrikaners arrives in the US amid Trump's resettlement offer
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. A small batch of white Afrikaners quietly arrived in the US on Friday, as part of President Donald Trump's offer to resettle them amidst false claims of white genocide and persecution in South Africa. They are part of 8,000 who will be resettled within the next few months, according to Jaco Kleynhans, head of Public Relations for trade union Solidarity. Last month the first group of more than 49 white South African Afrikaners landed in the United States after a private plane was chartered for them. This after Trump in February issued an executive order where Washington cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as one that enables the persecution of Afrikaners. 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.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Second group of white Afrikaners arrive in the US to take up Trump's offer of resettlement
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 A small batch of white Afrikaners quietly arrived in the US on Friday, as part of President Donald Trump's offer to resettle them amidst false claims of white genocide and persecution in South Africa. They are part of 8,000 who will be resettled within the next few months, according to Jaco Kleynhans, head of Public Relations for trade union Solidarity. Last month the first group of more than 49 white South African Afrikaners landed in the United States after a private plane was chartered for them. This after Trump in February issued an executive order where Washington cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as one that enables the persecution of Afrikaners. 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. '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. Dr Noluthando Phungula, an international relations expert, said it would appear that Washington still holds on to the notion of a white genocide, and it is unlikely that there will be a large exodus, as the privileged white Afrikaner population will not want to leave their life of privilege and comfort in South Africa. 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.
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
You cannot get past White House doors if you don't speak to Musk about Starlink: Expelled South Africa envoy
In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost, former South African Ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool gave his take on Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other prominent South Africans' influence over the Donald Trump administration read more US President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser, Elon Musk, says he has 'done enough' in four months of the second term of the Republican leader in the White House. Musk is effectively cutting back on his involvement in the Trump administration. However, he continues to wield immense influence in the White House, says the South African envoy whom the US recently declared a persona non grata, expelling him. Commenting on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's influence on the current administration of US President Donald Trump, former South African envoy to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, said that one cannot get into the White House before speaking to Musk about Starlink. The remarks from the ambassador came in an exclusive conversation with Firstpost's Bhagyasree Sengupta. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rasool was brought into the middle of the ongoing diplomatic row between South Africa and the US after he was expelled from Washington, DC, for saying that Trump is 'mobilising a supremism ' and trying to project 'white victimhood as a dog whistle'. The Trump administration has been accusing South Africa of committing genocide against White farmers in the country. Not only this, but both Trump and Musk called out the new land law in the country, which is formerly known as the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024. The law allows the government to seize land, including property and infrastructure, for public purposes or in the public interest. Shortly after Rasool's expulsion , South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid a visit to the White House with a delegation from the country. However, his meeting with the Potus also ended on a rocky note after Trump paraded images and videos of what he claimed was proof of White genocide. During the meeting, a South African billionaire was sitting and witnessing it unfold. That billionaire was none other than SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. I have been targeted by South Africans in Trump's inner circle: Rasool When asked about his expulsion from Washington, DC, Ambassador Rasool said it was already in the making right when he was announced as the envoy. 'So it was a fix in the making. From the time that I was announced as ambassador to the United States in South Africa, which was in November already, I only landed and got credentialed in the US in January. But from the moment it was announced, there had been a campaign against me because of the position I took on the hijacks by Israel and fighting racism in South Africa,' he told Firstpost. Rasool had been one of the few diplomats who had openly condemned Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip. Not only this, it was South Africa that moved the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide . In light of this, before Rasool arrived in Washington, the case had already ruffled some feathers in the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD South Africa's expelled ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, speaks upon his arrival at the airport. Source: Reuters In the interview, Rasool claimed that he is being targeted by South Africans within Trump's inner circle and the 'Israeli lobby' as well. 'I'd been targeted by, amongst others, South Africans in the inner circle of the Trump administration. I was targeted by AIPAC, the lobby. It was going to be a very tenuous situation to represent Africa against these kinds of odds,' he said. Rasool received a grand welcome when he came back home after the expulsion. While speaking to Firstpost, the South African envoy made it clear that he wears the expulsion 'like a badge of honour'. The Musk effect When asked about Elon Musk's influence within the Trump administration, Rasool insisted that one cannot get past the White House doors before speaking to Musk about his satellite internet service company, Starlink . 'He [Musk] wants to sell Starlink to India. He wants to sell it to South Africa. He wants to sell it all over the world,' the South African envoy said. 'It is very clear that you cannot get past the White House if you don't start speaking to Musk about Starlink. That's why it was so clear that in the press conference with Trump, Starlink came up and so forth,' he said. Rasool noted that Musk is not the only South African who has a strong influence within the Trump administration. 'I think that at the very least, there are four critical South Africans around Trump. Elon Musk is the most visible one,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Elon Musk listens to US President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. File photo/Reuters The South African envoy also mentioned that the former CEO of PayPal, Peter Thiel, also pulls his strings within the Trump administration. 'I think it's also very clear that there's a group from PayPal that is very active in the United States. They need the United States to compete with India, compete with China, and compete with Africa for critical minerals because the fourth industrial revolution needs critical minerals, rare earth elements, and so forth,' he said. Rasool argued that it is the tech bosses who are requiring the United States to take over Greenland and drill for critical minerals. 'There's a very clear agenda that creates the method of madness, which we are seeing right now. Some key South Africans, like Peter Thiel and others, are around Trump, influencing him about the country. Much the same way, you have someone from South Africa, Cape Town, who wrote a book called The Myth of Diversity [David O. Sacks and Peter Thiel], which has now created this idea of an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ties between the US and South Africa went downhill after Trump signed an executive order pausing aid to the country. In the Firstpost interview, the Ambassador spoke further about the aid blockade, the deteriorating ties between the two nations and Trump's tendencies to target developing countries. Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
