I come from a long line of Afrikaners: both of my grandfathers served as young Boer soldiers during the Anglo-Boer War, and I have a direct lineage to Paul Kruger, the former president of the Transvaal Republic. My ancestry includes Dutch, French, and German settlers who arrived at the southern tip of Africa in the 17th century. Unlike many colonial groups in Africa, my forebears remained in the region.
They spread across the nation, often displacing and oppressing the Indigenous populations. Over time, their ideology developed into a formal government policy of white supremacy known as apartheid, which the UN later classified as a crime against humanity. Amazingly, since apartheid’s abolition in 1994, South Africa has flourished as a democratic and open society.
So, it was quite shocking when Donald Trump and South African-born Elon Musk declared that Afrikaners are an endangered group, asserting that our black fellow citizens are involved in a “genocide” against us, presenting us as victims of discrimination deserving of special refugee status in the United States—especially as thousands of others are being turned away or deported from there. The US State Department is even setting up “refugee centers” in Pretoria to accommodate these so-called “victims”.
The comments and threats issued by Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Musk incensed the majority of South Africans, as these claims were obviously false and regarded as unacceptable interference in our domestic matters. However, a segment of the white population, specifically Afrikaner nationalists and separatists, welcomed this US involvement, which sparked intense exchanges with racial undertones across social media platforms.
For the record, Afrikaners today generally enjoy better living standards than they did before 1994, when political power was relinquished; this applies materially, culturally, and in terms of personal freedom.
Our progressive constitution, complete with a comprehensive bill of rights, remains intact; the rule of law functions effectively, and our judiciary operates independently; we maintain a genuinely open society with free speech and media, attributes that many other democracies, including Trump’s America, envy.
Whites, who represent approximately 7.3% of the population, still hold a substantial portion of the economy and possess about half of the land—none of which has been confiscated from white holders. White unemployment is at 7%, compared to national unemployment which exceeds 30%. The crime rate in predominantly white neighborhoods is vastly lower than in the extensive black townships.
South Africa is led by a unity government, which is a coalition of the ANC and the white-led Democratic Alliance. President Cyril Ramaphosa chose this partnership over aligning with the two black nationalist parties, the MK and the Economic Freedom Fighters. Prominent among white representatives in Ramaphosa’s cabinet is Pieter Groenewald, the former leader of the Afrikaner-based Freedom Front Plus. Genocide? Victims?
It is accurate to say that the ANC-led governments over the past two decades have not excelled. We endured a decade (2009-2018) of corruption scandals labeled as “state capture” under former President Jacob Zuma, from which the nation has yet to fully recover. We face declining infrastructure and urban decay, frequent reports of corruption, unchecked crime, and sluggish economic growth averaging around 1%.
Yet, these are our issues, affecting all citizens. We don’t need assistance from Trump or Musk.
What drives their interest in our country? South Africa frustrated the US and other Western nations by taking Israel to the ICJ (International Court of Justice), accusing it of genocide in the Gaza conflict—something Trump clearly pointed out in his executive order regarding South Africa. Addressing that conflict was imperative, and it was appropriate for a nation that has survived dehumanization, enforced land removals, and severe human rights violations to lead the charge. I believe history will ultimately view my nation favorably in this regard.
However, Trump’s ire is primarily aimed at the treatment of Afrikaners—a group he likely wouldn’t have considered until Musk became his associate. What fuels this fixation? Three letters: DEI. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In South Africa, this is reflected through black empowerment and corrective action, mechanisms intended to expedite the healing process from centuries of dehumanization and economic exclusion.
South Africa’s narrative is both a blessing and a curse, as the nation’s history and demographics encapsulate essential human themes. It’s a blessing because the brutality of apartheid galvanized global support, spawning a powerful anti-apartheid movement that ultimately isolated white-governed South Africa through sanctions and boycotts. It’s a curse because the rise of a global hard-right has created a compelling narrative around a supposedly endangered white minority, linking the fortunes of Afrikaners in South Africa to those of white conservatives in the US unless action is taken.
Many of my fellow Afrikaners seem puzzled by the proposal for refugee status, with a prevailing sentiment of “thank you, but no thank you”. We named ourselves after the African continent. Most of us, even those who criticize our government and its policies, see ourselves as Africans with lighter skin. We cherish our unique language, Afrikaans, which holds significant importance to our ethnic identity and is spoken primarily in South Africa and neighboring Namibia.
The potential sanctions from the Trump administration could have adverse effects. The more enlightened members of our Afrikaner community and other white South Africans are rallying against this foreign meddling to unite our society and prove to one another and the world that we can be a cohesive and successful nation. Donald Trump and Elon Musk do not represent us.
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Max du Preez was the founding editor of Vrye Weekblad, an anti-apartheid Afrikaans weekly newspaper.
