Latest news with #Phiri


The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Dirco confirms death of SA citizen in West Virginia, US
South Africa's embassy in Washington is providing full consular assistance to the family Government has confirmed that a South African citizen has died in the United States (US). International Relations Department (Dirco) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the individual passed away in West Virginia. 'The government of the Republic of South Africa confirms with deep sadness the tragic passing of a South African citizen in West Virginia, United States of America. 'The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, has extended condolences to the bereaved family during this profoundly difficult time,' Phiri said. Consular assistance Phiri added that South Africa's embassy in Washington, D.C., is providing full consular assistance to the family. 'The circumstances surrounding this tragic death remain under active investigation by the relevant United States authorities. 'Out of respect for the ongoing investigative process, the sensitivity of the matter, and the privacy of the grieving family, the South African Government will not be providing further detailed commentary at this time,' Phiri said. ALSO READ: KZN man working in US arrested for allegedly distributing child porn Murder According to Women for Change, the person has been identified as 32-year-old Kim White Towne. Towne was allegedly murdered by her husband, Alexander Towne, in their home in Chantilly, Virginia, United States, on 24 May 2025. In 2023, Towne, originally from Cape Town, moved to the United States with Alexander, a US citizen and military veteran. Argument On 24 May 2025, just two hours before her death, Towne reportedly called a family member, expressing fear and distress over her violent marriage. The family member urged her to contact the police. It is alleged that the argument between Kim and Alexander escalated, and he fatally strangled her. After the alleged brutal murder, the husband reportedly called the police and confessed to assaulting and killing his wife. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Towne's lifeless body. Arrest Alexander was arrested, charged with second-degree murder, and is currently being held without bail. It is reported that their three-year-old child was inside the home when the incident occurred. In 2024, Towne had reportedly obtained a protection order against her husband, which led to his removal from their home. She stayed with a family member for some time, but a few months later, the couple reconciled. ALSO READ: Afrikaners who accepted Trump's refugee offer 'know there's no persecution in SA' – expert

IOL News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
SA Government rejects ‘refugee' label for Afrikaners resettled in US
The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa arriving for resettlement in the US Image: SAUL LOEB / AFP A group of 49 South African Afrikaners has officially been granted asylum in the United States and arrived on American soil this past week, prompting concern and condemnation from the South African government. The US cited ongoing racial discrimination, farm attacks, and threats of expropriation without compensation as the basis for offering refugee protection, calling it a humanitarian response to the 'persecution of Afrikaners'. In a statement, the United States government said, 'This tremendous accomplishment, at the direction of Secretary Rubio, responds to President Trump's call to prioritise U.S. refugee resettlement of this vulnerable group facing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa. We stand with these refugees as they build a better future for themselves and their children in the United States.' The US added that 'no one should have to fear having their property seized without compensation or becoming the victim of violent attacks because of their ethnicity,' noting that more Afrikaners will be welcomed in the coming months. The move, however, was met with sharp criticism in Pretoria. Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, confirmed that Deputy Minister Alvin Botes held a 'cordial discussion' with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on 9 May 2025, following engagements via diplomatic channels. 'The Government expressed concerns with the information conveyed that the United States has commenced with processing alleged refugees from South Africa and will begin resettling these citizens in the United States,' Phiri said. South Africa pointed to the internationally recognised 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee as someone with a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. 'We reiterate that allegations of discrimination are unfounded. The South Africa Police Service statistics on farm-related crimes do not support allegations of violent crime targeted at farmers generally or any particular race,' said Phiri. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ The U.S. granted refugee status to 49 white Afrikaners Image: Marco Longari / AFP He added that there are sufficient legal structures within the country to address any claims of discrimination and that such claims 'do not meet the threshold of persecution required under domestic and international refugee law.' AfriForum, the civil rights organisation who has previously spoken out about the farm murders in 2024, submitted a formal letter to the Minister of Police detailing a spate of brutal farm attacks between October and December that year. These included the murder of two women, aged 52 and 82, in Eikenhof; a 68-year-old man in Meyerton stabbed to death during a home invasion; a 32-year-old game farm manager shot dead in Parys; and the murder of a 41-year-old woman in Lydenburg. In Rouxville, a 56-year-old man was shot dead while his wife was abducted and later rescued. In Fouriesburg, a 56-year-old security guard was killed and a farmer hospitalised following a farm attack. A 45-year-old man was also murdered in Hendrina, and his elderly parents brutally assaulted. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said, 'The fact that the first group of Afrikaners has now left the country as refugees is a serious indictment against the ANC-led government, which continues to refuse to condemn calls for violence against Afrikaners, such as 'Kill the Boer.'' He said the move was the result of state-led discrimination, including the Expropriation Act which allows land seizure without compensation. Several Afrikaners have previously marched in Pretoria, supporting President Donald Trump and calling for recognition like Israel. Image: X (Twitter) 'AfriForum is determined, together with our colleagues in the Solidarity Movement, to continue our efforts to help build a future for Afrikaners here at the southern tip of Africa,' said Kriel. 'We will continue our safety and cultural infrastructure projects and maintain links with Afrikaners abroad through our Wereldwyd network.' However, not everyone agrees with the US's framing of the situation. Political and international relations analyst, and Director of Surgetower Associates Management Consultancy, Siseko Maposa, said: 'It must be unequivocally underscored that individuals seeking refugee status in the US on grounds of persecution in South Africa have done so on demonstrably false, speculative, and misleading premises. A plain reading of the Expropriation Act, the purported catalyst for these claims, reveals no unchecked state power to confiscate land.' 'The Act permits expropriation without compensation only under stringent procedural safeguards, rendering arbitrary seizure legally and practically implausible. Moreover, there exists no empirical evidence, nor any credible government pronouncement, to substantiate claims of systematic, state-tolerated violence against Afrikaners – it is simply a swindle,' he added. Maposa warned that those who have left under refugee status may face difficulties in returning: 'Under the UN Refugee Convention, host nations – in this case the USA – cannot send them back if their life or freedom would be at risk. This is only permissible should the refugees voluntarily return and seek their home country's protection or choose to resettle, effectively revoking their refugee status.' He further suggested that the US action was not purely humanitarian: 'This entire matter is less about genuine humanitarian concern and more a calculated geopolitical manoeuvre. The US is attempting to artificially inflate perceptions of human rights violations against Afrikaners to justify international pressure and isolate South Africa from its BRICS allies, including Russia, China, and Iran.' Despite the tension, South Africa has confirmed it will not prevent citizens from leaving the country, citing the constitutional right to freedom of movement. However, Phiri said the government has sought assurances from the US on the status of the departing individuals — including whether they have been vetted to ensure they have no pending criminal cases. Weekend Argus


eNCA
12-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
49 Afrikaners headed to US can't simply return for a 'braai' and back
The first group of 49 Afrikaner 'refugees ' leaving South Africa for the US. JOHANNESBURG - Department of International Relations (DIRCO) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri says it will not be easy for the 49 Afrikaners who left South Africa for the United States. Whilst in the US, should anything arise, they will not have easy access to any diplomatic assistance from South Africa. Their attempt to reach out or return to South Africa would be against international law and refugee laws, as one cannot simply return to a country where they claim persecution. 'They simply can't return home for a braai and go back,' says Phiri. "Even the word itself refugee suggests that you are seeking refuge from a particular country. "You cant be seeking refuge then go back home have a braai then go back to x country you are safer. It defeats the purpose of you being protected and under refuge of a particular country," he said. To return, they would have to revoke their refugee status, which in itself would be a monumental task. In February, after his return to the White House, US President Donald Trump accused the South African government of genocide. He has also accused the government of dispossessing Afrikaner farmers of their land through the Expropriation Act. DIRCO Minister Ronald Lamola has argued that the group of Afrikaners who have left do not qualify for refugee status. He says the country's crime statistics do not support the argument that white farmers are being persecuted.

IOL News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
‘These are not refugees': Afrikaners relocating to the US can return to South Africa, but there's a catch
A group of 49 South African Afrikaners departed for the United States on Sunday night under US President Donald Trump's offer for the 'discriminated' South African individuals and families to relocate. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation on Monday insisted that the group of 49 Afrikaners who left South Africa, heading to the United States under President Donald Trump's offer, are not refugees. On Monday morning, IOL reported that a chartered plane carrying 49 South African Afrikaners departed for the United States on Sunday night under Trump's offer for the 'discriminated' South African individuals and families to relocate. The first batch of Afrikaner refugees left OR Tambo International Airport on a flight operated by the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based charter company Omni Air International, and are expected to land in Washington on Monday evening. Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola said the notion being peddled, that Afrikaners are being persecuted in South Africa, is false. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 'We understand it is 49 people who have taken up the offer for refugee status in the United States. Just to be clear, the South African government unequivocally states that these are not refugees. In a country like ours, some of us went to schools where we were taught Afrikaans and by the way Afrikaans is still a medium of instruction and language in many of our schools,' said Phiri. 'We have judges, ministers, former mayors, we have streets named after Afrikaner heroes and Afrikaner nationals in the liberation context as well. To this day, you can drive on Voortrekker Street in any town in South Africa. 'This idea that Afrikaners are being persecuted is completely false, let alone the fact that Afrikaners are not just white people. There are also Africans who are Afrikaners so this is something that we have stated quite unequivocally, that we contest the status of them being refugees. But we also said we are not going to stand in the way,' he said. The group of 49 left the country on their South African passports and the government in Pretoria said there is no intention to deprive them of citizenship. Phiri however highlighted that once the individuals are accepted into the United States refugee system, they cannot be returned to South Africa by the US government - for any reason. 'Here is the difficulty, possibly for these individuals … if they accept refugee status in the United States and they are facilitated as refugees, the United States cannot return them to South Africa for whatever reason. They cannot be deported by the government of the United States,' said Phiri. 'They may self-deport themselves by coming back to South Africa but that will also mean they then renounce their refugee status in the United States. It is really a complex situation.'


The Citizen
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Resettlement of Afrikaners in US 'politically motivated' , Dirco says
US President Donald Trump's administration is set to bring the first group of Afrikaners it has classified as refugees to the US early next week. US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Picture: AFP The International Relations Department (Dirco) said the resettlement of white South Africans or Afrikaners in the United States under the guise of being 'refugees' is 'entirely politically motivated'. US President Donald Trump's administration is set to bring the first group of Afrikaners it has classified as refugees to the US early next week. 'Mission South Africa' In March, Trump set up a programme called 'Mission South Africa' offering an expedited pathway to US citizenship for white South Africans, falsely claiming that the government was confiscating their land and calling their treatment in the country 'terrible'. Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri confirmed that Deputy Minister Alvin Botes held what it called a 'cordial discussion' with the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, about the departure of white South Africans to the US. 'The discussion follows engagements via the diplomatic channels, where the government expressed concerns with the information conveyed that the United States has commenced with processing alleged refugees from South Africa and will begin resettling these citizens in the United States.' ALSO READ: First SA white Afrikaner refugees set to arrive in US next week 'Politically motivated' Phiri said Dirco reiterated that allegations of discrimination against Afrikaners were 'unfounded'. 'It is most regrettable that it appears that the resettlement of South Africans to the United States under the guise of being 'refugees' is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa's constitutional democracy, Phiri said. 'A country which has, in fact, suffered true persecution under apartheid rule and has worked tirelessly to prevent such levels of discrimination from ever occurring again, including through the entrenchment of rights in our Constitution, which is enforced vigorously through our judicial system. 'In addition, it is not clear how the principle of non-refoulement will be applied in relation to these citizens once they are resettled,' said Phiri. SA will not block anyone Phiri said South Africa will not block white South Africans or Afrikaners who want to leave the country. 'Whilst South Africa challenges the United States' assessments of alleged refugee status, it will not block citizens who seek to depart the country from doing so, as it also observes their right of freedom of movement and freedom of choice, specifically the right to leave the country, as contained in section 21(2) of the Constitution. 'However, it is essential that in doing so, South Africa ensures that it is compliant with other domestic laws and prescripts,' Phiri said. ALSO READ: WATCH: AfriForum 'not having sleepless nights' over allegations of high treason Status of people leaving Phiri added that through diplomatic channels, Dirco has sought the status of people that will be departing for the US, whether as asylum seekers, refugees or ordinary citizens 'Dirco has sought assurances as to whether the persons have been appropriately vetted by competent South African authorities to ensure that they do not have any outstanding criminal cases pending against them; amongst others. 'The Government of South Africa remains dedicated to constructive dialogue with the United States of America, anchored in mutual respect for sovereignty, the rule of law, and shared commitment to deepening mutually beneficial bilateral partnership,' Phiri said. 'Discrimination allegations unfounded' Phiri said Dirco has reiterated that allegations of discrimination are unfounded. 'The South African Police Service statistics on farm-related crimes do not support allegations of violent crime targeted at farmers generally or any particular race. There are sufficient structures available within South Africa to address concerns of discrimination. 'Moreover, even if there are allegations of discrimination, it is our view that these do not meet the threshold of persecution required under domestic and international refugee law,' Phiri said. Phiri stated progressive judgements from South African courts, particularly the Constitutional Court, have 'demonstrated a principled commitment to protect minorities and vulnerable groups,' adding that 'this shows the extent to which South Africa is working towards a country in which every citizen is free and protected'. NOW READ: WATCH: AfriForum went to Washington to gossip about SA – Mufamadi