The election of the current US President, Donald Trump came as a relief to many countries across the globe. He was seen as a better option in comparison to his predecessor, President J. Biden. The main difference was their approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israeli aggression and according to Internation Criminal Court (ICC), genocide on Palestinian people backed by US. Red flags such as his intended relations with China, Mexico, and African countries were largely ignored and downplayed.
However, soon as he took office, all that glittered was clearly not gold. He signed several executive orders that were not popular, not only to US citizens but also to neighbouring countries such as Mexico and Canada. Many of which were hostile and targeted some countries in Europe, Africa, and in Asia. He cut donor aid to Africa including South Africa. Based on information supplied to him by a couple of individuals, media institutions, and a few organisations, he believed that white South Africans were persecuted based on their race. Their land was taken, and that horrible things were happening in South Africa.
Diplomatic protocol between countries enables Presidents to contact other directly to discuss what affects their relations before any decision can be communicated to the public. US President discarded all the diplomatic protocol and offered white South Africans refugee status. A move that shocked the world. He also announced sanctions on South African goods including agricultural products, to the dismay of Afriforum.
The first lot left the country to US on the invitation by the US President as refugees. However, the number was not as much as expected. A disappointing 49, mainly Afrikaners left the country to be refugees in US, unchallenged. One would have expected thousands of them to show up for the flight as an indication of bad things happening is South Africa against whites, mostly farmers, whose land was grabbed without compensation as Donald Trump understood the situation to be.
Hardly any active farmer turned up for the flight, nor any of those who were actively participating in the economic activities within the country. It is alleged that, the vast number of the refugees in the flight were those who wanted to get an, “American dream”. For them, a trip to US offered a second chance to life with endless opportunities. The expectations was for a warm welcoming and king/queen treatment. Contrary to their expectations, church denominations such Episcopal church were against the resettlement of white South Africans granted refugee status on baseless and unfounded grounds, whereas there were people across the globe who needed such assistance. Quite a number of other Americans who had been to South Africa also thought the move was not based on facts but on prejudices that Donald Trump and his close allies had against other races. Notably, Afrikaners have relocated to US under the refugee status. This is the same group of people that has been involved and accused of racial discrimination in South Africa and had benefited enormously in the previous apartheid regime.
Granting Afrikaners refugee status, coupled with sanctions and the withdrawal of grant funds from USA to South Africa depict sour relations between the two countries, prompting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit US President to discuss all these matters in person and hopefully resolve them to the best interest of the two countries. Whereas, prospects of the Afrikaners in US as refugees remain to be seen, it will certainly not be as easy and glamorous as they had thought nor will they receive privileged treatment they had hoped for. They for instance to adapt to using English language to communicate with US citizens, something they do not like very much. A new life of no privileges and possibly hard work awaits them across the Atlantic Ocean.
