Trump Offers Asylum to White South Africans Amid Controversy

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has offered political asylum to South Africa’s white minority, claiming they face persecution under the country’s land reform policies. His move follows years of lobbying by the Afrikaner rights group AfriForum, which promotes claims of a “white genocide” despite no evidence supporting such a phenomenon.

Trump’s executive order misrepresented South Africa’s new Expropriation Act, which permits land seizures in exceptional cases but generally requires compensation. The law aims to address historical land disparities stemming from apartheid, yet Trump framed it as an attack on white landowners, tweeting: “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.”

AfriForum has long lobbied Trump’s administration, portraying white farmers as victims of racially motivated murders. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the group’s leaders as white supremacists. In 2018, AfriForum executives met Trump’s then-national security adviser, John Bolton, and appeared on conservative media to push their claims.

Billionaire Elon Musk, a South African-born ally of Trump, has echoed these narratives. Musk, now leading Trump’s “government efficiency” department, has linked the alleged targeting of Afrikaners to his business disputes in South Africa. His Starlink satellite service has been blocked due to Black economic empowerment laws requiring 30% local Black ownership. Musk has labeled these laws “openly racist” and has received backing from AfriForum, which claims Starlink is excluded because it is “too white.”

AfriForum has also downplayed apartheid’s impact, with its CEO, Kallie Kriel, stating it was not a crime against humanity. The group has ramped up international efforts, launching the Afrikaner Foundation in the U.S. and engaging with Trump’s circle.

Trump’s intervention has strained U.S.-South Africa relations, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to call Musk to de-escalate tensions. Some South African officials have suggested an exemption for Starlink, but opposition remains strong.

With key figures in Trump’s orbit, including Breitbart editor Joel Pollak and golf legend Gary Player, also linked to South Africa, Trump’s push signals a broader far-right effort to reshape the country’s racial policies.

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