Key facts
- South Africa's ambassador to the US, Roelf Meyer, stated that a genocide against white Afrikaners does not exist.
- Meyer, who is Afrikaner, said the claim of mass attacks on the white minority has been misrepresented.
- The Trump administration has admitted nearly 13,000 refugees from South Africa since last year, with most being Afrikaners.
- The US plans to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next 12 months.
- A White House spokeswoman stated that President Trump has provided a "lifeline" for Afrikaners facing violence.
- Police data indicates that the majority of crime victims in South Africa, including on farms, are black.
South Africa's new ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has directly refuted claims made by President Donald Trump that a genocide is occurring against white Afrikaners in South Africa. Meyer, who is himself an Afrikaner and was a key negotiator in ending apartheid, told the BBC that the notion of a mass attack on the white minority does not exist and that the facts have been misrepresented. He suggested that a conversation with Trump would be beneficial to clarify the reality of the situation.
Trump had previously accused South Africa of white genocide and established a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners. According to a notice sent to Congress, the Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next 12 months. Last year, nearly 13,000 refugees were admitted to the US, with most being South African. A White House spokeswoman stated that Trump's administration is providing a "lifeline" to Afrikaners facing violence, rape, and displacement.
However, Meyer argued that while crime is a problem in South Africa, it is widespread and disproportionately affects black communities, particularly in townships, rather than being a targeted persecution of white people. He suggested that some Afrikaners' grievances stem from a "loss of privilege" following the end of apartheid, rather than actual persecution.
Critics, like former director of the US Refugee Assistance Programme Larry Bartlett, have questioned the legality and appropriateness of using refugee programs for individuals who may not meet the criteria for fleeing war or ethnic cleansing. Pastor Rudi Swanepoel also questioned why white Afrikaners were being singled out when other groups in South Africa also face violence.
The Trump administration has also raised concerns about South Africa's policies aimed at redressing historic racial inequality, such as targets for non-white employment and land expropriation without compensation, which Meyer stated is awaiting a court judgment. The US has also imposed visa restrictions on South Africans accused of race-based discrimination against white people.