Start of new ‘Great Trek’? Afrikaners arrive in US

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel was non-committal yesterday about whether he supported the Afrikaners taking up an offer by US President Donald Trump to leave South Africa for America as “refugees” to flee from what some claim is a “genocide” aimed at white people and Afrikaners in particular.

Today, the first batch of Afrikaner settlers is expected to land in the US, where they will be living as refugees.

Kriel said he had read about their departure in the media and had “no further information”. He could not give details of the departing Afrikaner group nor say whether he was distancing himself from those seeking a self-imposed exile.

The US embassy in South Africa is also keeping mum on the matter.

According to media reports, the US state department and homeland security were expected to welcome 54 Afrikaners with refugee status in Washington.

Trump’s invite

Trump suspended the country’s entire refugee settlement programme on his first day in office – leaving over 100 000 people from wartorn countries who had been initially approved in the lurch.

But in February he signed an executive order directing government officials to grant refugee status to Afrikaners.

Trump said in March that any South African farmers and their families seeking to “flee” would have a “rapid pathway” to US citizenship.

It was reported afterwards that thousands of Afrikaners had approached the US embassy in Pretoria about the offer.

ALSO READ: Trump offers white South African farmers expedited US citizenship

Arrivals

US investigative outlet The Lever quoted a 30 April memo saying that the first South Africans were scheduled to arrive “within a few days”.

Washington was preparing to resettle up to 1 000 Afrikaners this year, it said, quoting a government source.

National Public Radio and the said the group was scheduled to arrive today, although the Times quoted officials saying the date could change depending on logistics.

The South African government wanted to know if those being accepted into the US had the status of asylum seekers, refugees or ordinary citizens, the foreign affairs department said.

It also wanted assurances that those leaving had been appropriately vetted, including to ensure they do not have any criminal cases pending against them.

“While 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,” the statement added.

“The US has commenced with processing alleged refugees from South Africa,” the department said.

“We reiterate that allegations of discrimination are unfounded,” it added.

“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.”

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes has raised these concerns with his US counterpart Christopher Landau, it said.

ALSO READ: Resettlement of Afrikaners in US as refugees ‘entirely politically motivated’ Dirco says

US trips

Relations between SA and the US have nosedived this year, culminating in Washington’s expulsion of Pretoria’s ambassador in March.

“It is most regrettable that it appears that the resettlement of South Africans in the US under the guise of being ‘refugees’ is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy,” the department said.

AfriForum and Solidarity earlier this year visited Washington to present the “Washington Memorandum”, requesting the US provide humanitarian assistance for Afrikaner development.

The organisations met with senior representatives of the Trump administration at the White House.

“We propose that Afrikaners’ aspiration for a free, safe, prosperous life and cultural autonomy at the southern tip of Africa be recognised,” read part of the memorandum.

‘Tiny minority’

Professor Dirk Kotze, of the University of SA’s political science faculty, said the Afrikaners who wanted to settle in the US as refugees was a “tiny minority”.

“This is a politically-driven initiative of the US government. It fits with the Trump administration’s policies, but I do not think it is going to be a long-term policy.”

Independent political expert Sandile Swana said there should be “an evidence-based assessment” before the Afrikaners are granted US refugee status.

“The assessment should indicate that it is impossible for the Afrikaners to live in South Africa.

“In SA, the government is not targeting certain ethnic groups or people holding opposite political views. Crime and violence can be experienced by anyone, regardless of race or colour.”

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