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The Citizen
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Afrikaner ‘refugees' spot a ruse
Are the Afrikaner 'refugees' opportunists or traumatised victims of violence or, just like many other South Africans, worried and wanting a fresh crack at life? 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. Picture: SAUL LOEB / AFP Last Sunday evening, I had a moment of deep frustration, because our 49 (59? 8 000?) Afrikaner refugees were leaving their homeland in real time and my deadline for Monday's paper had already passed. Other refugees should pull their act together Naturally, I had a lot of thoughts, chiefly, how nice to be refugees with your very own chartered plane courtesy of the country you're going to, coupled with a vague pride at how healthy our refugees looked: well-nourished, blonde highlights, eyeliner, Oakleys, beer bellies, neat piles of suitcases (no 23kg limit for them), glossy children in fresh pyjamas and slippers ready for the flight… I mean, those dusty, flat-footed refugees from other countries should pull their act together. ALSO READ: Afrikaner claims of persecution are a fat lie There they are in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Syria, the DRC, whatever so-called 'shi*hole countries' they're escaping, stringently vetted and finally approved after years of jumping through bureaucratic hoops, yet now they're stranded by executive order. But our guys: sjoe! Less than three months, no time even to sell the house. That's how you do it. A week on, I'm still wondering if any of them actually abandoned farms, or if they're all like our Charl Kleinhaus – the chap who once turned anti-Semitic while in hospital on morphine, a situation many refugees will doubtless recognise – who appears to have abandoned only the mortgage on his five-bedroom house in Mpumalanga and presumably left it to Pam Golding to deal with. He also left behind his mom, his pets and his 'many black friends'. Boerefugees or chancers? Are these emigrants then opportunists or traumatised victims of violence or, just like many other South Africans, worried and wanting a fresh crack at life? And does it even matter? Because what they are for certain is pawns, living embodiments of the 'great replacement' theory beloved of white supremacists, the alleged covert plan to, as Tucker Carlson put it on Fox News, 'change the racial mix of the country' and the western world to usurp white dominance. That is why Afrikaners are repeatedly said by US President Donald Trump to be victims of an ongoing genocide by murderous black people; a white minority targeted, threatened, attacked, robbed and killed by anonymous dark hordes, the apparent embodiment of this conspiracy. It's a blatant untruth, of course – but maybe that's how these boerefugees really feel. Or maybe they just spotted a ruse. Either way, seriously, good luck to them all. NOW READ: Trump administration slams church for refusing to resettle white South Africans in America
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The new U.S refugee policy for minority South Africans: Explained
The story so far: The first contingent of 59 Afrikaner refugees arrived from in the United States on May 12, under a new policy that promotes the resettlement of Afrikaners, a white minority group in South Africa, who President Donald Trump has alleged are facing racial discrimination in their home country. The refugees arrived via a private chartered plane, and landed at Dulles Airport near Washington D.C. They were received by a government delegation including Troy Edgar, deputy Homeland Security secretary, and Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state 'Welcome to America....I want you to know that you are really welcome here,' NPR reported Mr. Landau as saying. What is the policy? Under the new policy, the U.S has introduced expedited processing of refugee applications from Afrikaners and other South African minorities. To be eligible to be considered for resettlement in the U.S, individuals must be a South African national, of Afrikaner ethnicity or a member of a racial minority, and must have experienced past persecution or fear future persecution. On May 12, the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa published a notice about the refugee admissions programme 'for Afrikaners and disfavored minorities in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination,' thus indicating that the programme will continue post this first batch of 59 Afrikaners. Reports say that processing for these refugees took no more than three months. Agencies, including the U.S Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, are helping refugees settle across States such as Minnesota, Idaho, Iowa, and North Carolina. A report by The Lever said that the administration plans to use emergency funds to assist these refugees. They shall receive government assistance for seeking employment, temporary or longer term-housing, and schools. Other provisions include: 'basic home furnishings, essential household items and cleaning supplies,' as well as help for securing 'groceries, weather-appropriate clothing, diapers, formula, hygiene products and prepaid phones that support the day-to-day well-being of households.' The administration is relying on a refugee office in the Department of Health and Human Services (the traditional route, before a Trump-era suspension of the programme, would have been via the State Department.) The policy follows an Executive Order signed by Mr. Trump in February, after South Africa passed a land reclamation act that critics deemed racially discriminatory. Titled 'Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa,' the order accuses the government of a 'shocking disregard of its citizens' rights.' 'In addition, South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.,' the order states, stating that the U.S could not support the South African government's 'commission of rights violations' or its undermining of U.S foreign policy, 'which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.' The order institutes a funding freeze as long as these 'these unjust and immoral practices' that harm the U.S continue, and also prvovides for the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees 'escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.' The U.S subsequently clarified that the funding cuts would not affect PEPFAR ( U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which is vital for South Africa, and which now faces an uncertain future after slashing of USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funding. Within weeks of the executive order, teams were deployed to South African capital Pretoria to screen eligible candidates. From around 8000 interested candidates, 100 were identified as prospects, and 59 left from Johannesburg on May 12. Why has the policy been instituted? President Trump has alleged that the Afrikaners, particularly farmers, are suffering racial discrimination, boosting claims of a white genocide, popular among the right and far right wing. He re-iterated that it was not because the farmers were white, stating that their race 'makes no difference to me.' He made similar claims in 2018, during his first presidency. Some of the refugees who arrived in the U.S told media that they had faced threats to their life and attempts to claim their property. Several Afrikaners have previously said they are denied jobs, targeted by criminals or ignored by the government because of their race. South-African born Elon Musk has also amplified claims about the alleged 'white genocide' in South Africa, as have Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. 'What's happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee programme was created,' Mr. Miller said last week. 'This is persecution based on a protected characteristic, in this case, race.' U.S- South Africa ties soured in January after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Expropriation Bill, which allows the government to seize privately owned land in the public interest, without compensation. The Act was reportedly an attempt at equitable land reform: three-fourth of the privately owned land belongs to white farmers. Black South Africans only own about 4% of the land despite forming more than 90% of the population. South Africa maintains that no land has yet been seized. In March, Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa's ambassador to the US, was expelled after he accused Trump of using 'white victimhood as a dog whistle.' Some fear that U.S may also seek to end preferential access to its market, earlier assured to eligible sub-Saharan African countries through the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of 2000. Mr. Ramaphosa and the African National Congress have denied that Afrikaners were suffering persecution that would qualify them for refugee status. 'A refugee is someone who has to leave their country out of fear of political persecution, religious persecution, or economic they don't fit that bill,' Mr. Ramaphosa said. He also reportedly conveyed this in a phone call with Mr. Trump, and South African leaders also sent a diplomatic memo to the State Department last week. Further, in a recent conference in Ivory Coast, Mr. Ramaphosa said he believed the American government 'has got the wrong end of the stick here, but we'll continue talking to them.' He also asserted that the Afrikaners had left because they opposed post-apartheid policies to deal with racial inequality Mr. Trump has said that South African leaders were travelling to meet him next week, and indicated that he would not attend a G20 meeting in South Africa in November till the 'situation is taken care of.' What about other refugees? The Trump administration indefinitely suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in one of Mr. Trump's first executive actions after he was sworn in on January 20, 2025. The processing of refugee claims and the admission of refugees who had already been cleared to enter the United States were shut down temporarily. Soon after, the government was sued by the International Refugee Assistance project, which alleges that 120,000 conditionally approved refugees have been left uncertain of their future. Judges have directed the government to resume the refugee programme at least for those already been approved to travel, but this is being challenged. Those left in limbo include Afghans who aided the US military in its operations, other Africans suffering from war and famine, and Rohingya fleeing ethnic cleansing. According to the American Immigration Council, refugee resettlement took one-and-a-half to two years on average, before the first Trump presidency. The process is often difficult to navigate and time-consuming, and the government has cited backlogs and its inability to quickly process new claims. But for this group, processing was fast-tracked. Further, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN refugee arm) noted that it was not involved in the vetting process, which is the usual procedure. The change in refugee admissions is part of a wider shift in U.S policies on asylum seekers and immigrants, amid rhetoric about an 'invasion' of immigrants from poor countries. Large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants continue; some of these exercises have also ensnared American citizens or those in the country with valid visas or residence permits. The policy has also garnered criticism given the numerous budget and personnel cuts at U.S resettlement agencies after Mr. Trump took office for a second time. Agencies, including the Department of State, have paused the disbursal of funds for key services like home, job and school assistance. When asked if this refugee admission indicated a reopening of the broader refugee resettlement programme, Mr. Landau said that this was an ongoing consideration. 'Some of the criteria are making sure that refugees did not pose any challenge to our national security and that they could be assimilated easily into our country,' he said. Afrikaners and South Africa South Africa was colonised by European settlers starting from the 1600s. Afrikaners are the descendants of these white settlers, primarily of Dutch or British, or sometimes French, extraction. Apartheid (Afrikaans for apartness)— an instutionalised system of racial segregation — was introduced in 1948 by the Afrikaner rulers of South Africa, and did not end till 1994, when Nelson Mandela became the country's first Black President. Mr. Mandela lead a non-violent struggle against apartheid, spending almost two decades in prison and winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts. Today, around 7.2% of South Africa's population of more than 63 million is white, including Afrikaners. South Africa's white minority population reportedly holds more 20 times more wealth than the black majority and also sees lower rates of unemployment. Further, more farm owners are white, while several of those working on farms are likely to be black. Apartheid-era legislations had limited black ownership of land, with land being seized by the ruling minority and displacement of many black people. Post-apartheid, the government has engaged in efforts towards social and economic equity, including land redistribution. However, several white voices have alleged systematic targeting of Afrikaners, with particular violence towards white farmers. These claims of a 'white genocide' have been widely discredited. According to statistics from the South African policy, 2024 saw the murder of 44 individuals on farms or land plots. Of these, eight were farmers. Although there is no racial breakdown of this data, the land-owning farmers are more likely to be white, while workers are likely to be black— thus indicating no greater likelihood of murder for the white farmer. Further, this is a small proportion of the whole: for context, South Africa witnessed the murder of more than 6,900 people between October and December 2024. Conservative Afrikaner groups, such as AfriForum and the Solidarity movement, also call for the government to repeal 'race-based laws,' which includes those calculated to enhance black economic progress, or those promoting affirmative action. Some of these groups have not taken up the refugee offer extended by the Trump Administration. 'Emigration only offers an opportunity for Afrikaners who are willing to risk potentially sacrificing their descendants' cultural identity' AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said on May 10, according to anAl Jazeera report. The Soliadarity movement has also said that although they disagree with the ANC, they love their country, and that 'repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution for us.' Representatives of an Afrikaner-only enclave called Orania also rejected the offer. There are Afrikaners opposing claims of white persecution; in a BBC radio programme Afrikaner author Max du Preez called such claims 'a total absurdity' and 'based on nothing.' In February 2025, a South African court dismissed claims of white genocide as 'clearly imagined and not real.' The court ruled that a $2.1m donation to the group Boerelegioen by Grantland Michael Gray was invalid, vague and contrary to public policy. On its website, Boerelegioen describes itself as a 'civil defence movement that enables citizens to resist the promised slaughter of whites in RSA Republic of South Africa as well as the theft of their property.' The case had been brought by Mr. Gray's siblings, who were also the beneficiaries of his trust following his death in 2022. Criticisms from refugee aid organisations The Afrikaner refugee policy has been denounced by refugee rights organisations and Democrats. Many also noted the unprecedented speed with which the claims had been processed. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bill Frelick, Refugee Policy Director for Human Rights Watch noted that these were people 'who were not living in refugee camps; who hadn't fled their country. They were the group that was most associated with the oppression of the Black majority through not like these are among the most vulnerable refugees of the world.' Human Rights Watch described it as a 'cruel racial twist,' also pointing out that many had been denied refuge in the U.S — including others from African nations. The Episcopal Church in the U.S stated that it would not follow a directive from the federal government on the settlement of the new refugees because of the 'preferential treatment' granted to the Afrikaners, ending a nearly four-decade long association which saw the resettlement of 110,000 refugees from countries like Ukraine, Myanmar and Congo. It cited its longstanding 'commitment to racial justice and reconciliation' and its historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, a collective of churches in South Africa and neighbouring countries which took part in the anti-aparthied struggle. 'It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,' said Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. 'I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country,' he added. Church World Service, another faith-based group, said it was open to helping resettle the Afrikaners, while also noting in a statement that it was concerned by the fast-track admission of a select group while 'actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement' HIAS, a Jewish refugee resettlement agency, said it was committed to welcoming the Afrikaner refugees, but its president Mark Hetfield said that they were 'profoundly disturbed' that the government has 'has slammed the door in the face of thousands of other refugees approved by D.H.S. months ago, notwithstanding courts ordering the White House to let many of them in.'
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
The Afrikaner refugees fallacy exposes the malady in SA-US relations
The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement listen to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau (2nd R) and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar (R), after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport. Image: Saul Loeb/AFP NEVER in the history of democratic South Africa has so few caused so much pain to so many and with impunity. The preposterous saga of a very tiny minority of Afrikaners who this week flew to the US under the utterly false pretence of escaping persecution has pooh-poohed Mandela's dream of a South Africa for all races regardless of history. My great comrade and fellow writer, Gillian Schutte, captured it all so well when she posted on X: 'This is not the Great Trek of wagons and rifles. It is the soft trek of displaced entitlement. Just the silent movement of whiteness away from discomfort and toward reabsorption into a global order that still centres it.' Phew! President Cyril Ramaphosa has been at pains attempting to convince the President Donald Trump administration that empirical evidence shows no proof of any iota of the alleged persecution of the Afrikaner community in democratic South Africa. The Minister in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Ronald Lamola, has also done his bit, trying strenuously to push back against the false narrative of discrimination against the Afrikaner based on their skin pigmentation, beliefs, religion or any basis for that matter. Thus far, Pretoria's decorous diplomatic engagements with Washington appear to have fallen on deaf ears. The most unfortunate consequence of this developing sorry saga is that some, perhaps many, outside of South Africa, believe this balderdash. For in plain language, the claptrap behind allegations of persecution is indefensible in any court of law, including the public court of opinion. 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 flight of unpatriotic Afrikaners who are reeling from the displeasure of losing the privileges of institutionalised racial discrimination triggered by the advent of democracy and equality before the law has cast misplaced scrutiny on South Africa's transformative agenda. A flurry of twists and turns, laced with utter falsehoods and geopolitical bullying of the weak by the powerful, all this is a concocted recipe to discredit a developing democracy that seeks to write the wrongs of the past in pursuit of a brighter future for all citizens. Amid the ensuing brouhaha, South Africa's sovereignty somehow stands in the dock of the US's kangaroo court that has arbitrarily found Pretoria guilty as charged by the likes of AfriForum, sections of the DA, Institute of Race Relations, Solidarity and others overtly or covertly. Taking advantage of a hugely liberal Constitution that guarantees freedoms such as those of speech, thought and association, the fake refugees take umbrage with the country's developmental agenda without any fear of repercussions. Had it not been for the liberal nature of the predominantly Western-aligned Constitution, surely to travel abroad and speak ill about South Africa, conniving with foreign forces against the sitting administration would constitute high treason. I also want to argue that this debilitating litany of lies about our country exposes the lingering fault lines in geopolitics and modern-day international relations practices. In my book, it reveals the extent of overbearing ideological power and dominance of the global neo-liberal forces that is premised on the notion of universal racial solidarity. Let's call it for what it is: The anti-transformation movement against South Africa is a heavily funded, well-oiled machine that assumes various forms and postures. It seeks to portray, sadly, with great success, the ANC-led governance of the country as anti-white and hell-bent on victimising minority groups particularly Afrikaner farmers. The movement is also hugely networked in a world that has become interconnected and interdependent thanks to globalisation. Inside the Trump administration, it boasts powerful contacts such as South African-born Elon Musk, who also happens to be the world's wealthiest person. For the uninitiated, South Africa's democracy was founded on the back of hard negotiations between the Mandela-led ANC and the De Klerk-led segregationist white minority regime of the National Party. The Codesa negotiations produced a negotiated settlement and later a liberal Constitution that guarantees protection of property rights. This section of the law insulated the minority white population of the country against any threat to the wealth they had amassed over more than 350 years of black subjugation. For the record, to this day, there is no single member of any minority group, including Afrikaners, ever to be threatened with the loss of any rights under the challengeable laws of the land. The dirty campaign against South Africa by a tiny minority of South Africans, therefore, serves as a blatant affront to the inclusive foundations of our nascent democracy. Since the first batch of Afrikaners flew out in a chartered plane from OR Tambo International en route to the land of Coca-Cola and hamburgers that symbolise the mink and manure, there has been a heightened debate about race relations in our country. The conclusion is, however, not difficult to reach: Despite a myriad of dichotomous standpoints, the centre first built by Madiba and De Klerk still holds firm. But that said, it would be foolhardy to ignore the reputational damage and significant harm caused to the international standing of South Africa by the Trump administration's mischievous peddling of falsehoods about our country's complex and difficult transition from the old to the new order. Just as Trump believes in the misrepresentation of facts, so too are millions of especially the Republican voters, who believe the balderdash espoused by some among us, against us. It is this certainty of the looming damage to South Africa's good name that pains me more. It hurts deeply, because our own citizens have elected to disown us in the most ignominious fashion — hanging our dirty linen in public and inconsiderately seeking to throw us to the wolves. The Ramaphosa-led government has been accused of enacting the Expropriation of Land without Compensation to the detriment of the Afrikaners who own large swathes of land acquired at the height of apartheid through the displacement of Black people. Yet the truth is, the Act speaks of a careful need to free relevant portions of land parcels for 'public good' should the need arise. No single Afrikaner farmer has been targeted. But for those who are hankering for the preservation of apartheid-era white privileges, they'd like the US and the rest of the West to view South Africa with jaundiced eyes, and accordingly punish the country by imposing sanctions. The hurt that all patriotic South Africans should feel at this point is owing to the sheer impunity that the Judases who flew out as refugees this week enjoy, thanks to the most powerful nation on Earth. Just the other week, our Constitutional Court also ruled that people such as the fake refugees may never lose their citizenship even if they take up the citizenship of another country. In my view, and that's the view of many others, South Africa is being punished through a malicious public relations campaign for not kowtowing to the whims of Washington's foreign policy dictates. The membership of BRICS is also not helpful for South Africa. The Trump administration regards BRICS as an aberration. Additionally, South Africa's claim of non-alignment of foreign policy is also viewed by Washington and the West as a load of baloney. Lastly, tackling the untouchable Israel and hauling Tell Aviv before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide against the Palestinians was the last straw that broke the camel's back. These are unstated truths at the centre of the deteriorating bilateral relations between Pretoria and Washington. Being the weaker economy and refusing to be bullied in internal affairs, we can expect that the plot against our nation will continue to thicken. The first batch of Afrikaner refugees is only a ploy and pawn in the greater scheme of things. By all accounts, more Afrikaners will leave soon on a ticket of blatant lies about being persecuted. Let's connect the dots here. The US is boycotting our presidency of the G20. Mark my words: It will be a miracle if the US does not kick SA out of AGOA in a jiffy. Our sin is one - We are too independent for a 'small' country. But then again, they forget that we are Mandela's and Tutu's rainbow nation, replete with imperfections but morally upright. *Abbey Makoe is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Global South Media Network ( The views are personal. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media, or IOL.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Afrikaner ‘refugees' are opportunists: Women on Farms Project says farm workers are the victims in South Africa
The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa arrived for resettlement listening to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar Image: SAUL LOEB / AFP As the first group of 49 South Africans settle in the United States after they were invited by President Donald Trump to apply for refugee status, an organisation representing farm workers in the Western Cape said the 'refugees' are opportunists. 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 Newzroom Afrika, Denile Samuel, Women on Farms Project's labour coordinator said while the Afrikaners are being relocated to the United States, the plight of farm workers in South Africa remains neglected. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 'My sense about that (issue) is, the real people who are marginalised, the real people who are not heard and not seen are farm workers. They are the ones that need to complain, not white Afrikaners,' Samuel told the television news channel. 'They are opportunists, that is what they are.' 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 ✕ She said farm workers in South Africa are neglected, and the matter does not receive the attention it deserves. 'Of course they are (neglected). For years, they have been neglected, they are still neglected. They are the voiceless.' Members of Women on Farms Project marched to the Department of Labour and Employment offices in the Western Cape, calling for improved working and better living conditions for farm workers. Image: Supplied/Women on Farms Project On Monday, members of Women on Farms Project marched to the Department of Labour and Employment offices in the Western Cape, where they handed over a memorandum of demands, calling for improved working and better living conditions for farm workers. IOL has seen the memorandum of demands directed at Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth; chief director for provincial operations in Western Cape, Mawele Ntamo; provincial chief inspector in Western Cape, David Esau, and Dr Iqram Bux, senior manager of medical services, Compensation Fund in the province. 'In August 2024, Mr Ntamo, chief director of operations in the Western Cape, provincial head of the Department of Employment and Labour, announced on a public platform that Minister Meth would be visiting and engaging with farm workers in October or November 2024; this did not happen, neither were farm workers informed of when she would visit,' the memorandum stated. 'Since her appointment, Women on Farms Project has sent several requests to Minister Meth through her private secretary and director of communications, to engage with farm workers around widespread labour rights violations on commercial farms. These invitations have never even been acknowledged by the minister and her department.' Denile Samuel, Labour Coordinator of Women on Farms Project Image: Supplied In the memorandum, the 'frustrated' women farm workers and dwellers are requesting an engagement with Meth. The memorandum said it sought to also highlight the ongoing failure of the Department of Employment and Labour to uphold its mandate to enforce labour laws, conduct effective inspections, and respond timeously to urgent labour rights violations on farms. Among other demands, the women farm workers are seeking acknowledgement and a response to their memorandum by May 20. They are also demanding an engagement with Meth, to discuss issues pertaining to the labour rights of farm workers. Farmworkers Women farm workers and dwellers march to Philagro's office in Somerset West to hand over a memorandum demanding a complete and immediate end to the production, export and use of cyanamide/Dormex for agricultural purposes amid serious health concerns. Image: Supplied Earlier this week, IOL reported that Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has yet to disclose how his office would deal with increasing calls for a complete and immediate end to the production, export and use of cyanamide/Dormex for agricultural purposes, amid serious health risks to farmworkers. Cyanamide, a Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP), according to Women on Farms Project, has lost its approval in the European Union since 2008, but is still produced by Alzchem in Germany from where it is exported to countries in the global South, including South Africa. In South Africa, cyanamide is distributed by Philagro on behalf of Alzchem, according to Women on Farms Project. IOL News
IOL News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
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''.
