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President Cyril Ramaphosa has sharply criticised a group of 59 white South Africans who were granted refugee status in the US, calling their relocation an act of cowardice and expressing confidence that “they’ll be back soon.”
The Afrikaner group, descendants of Dutch settlers, arrived in the US on Monday following claims of racial persecution—a narrative championed by former US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. Both men have alleged a “genocide” against white farmers in South Africa, a claim widely discredited by analysts and rights groups.
Speaking at an agricultural exhibition in the Free State, Ramaphosa dismissed the group’s departure as rooted in resistance to the country’s efforts to address the legacies of apartheid.
“As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run from our problems—we confront them. When you choose to run, that’s cowardice,” Ramaphosa said. “This is a sad moment for them, not for us.”
He added that Afrikaners who had chosen to leave were “not favourably disposed” to land reform and other redress efforts aimed at reversing historical injustices.
“I can bet you that they’ll be back. There’s no place like South Africa,” he said.
Ramaphosa’s remarks sparked backlash online, with some accusing him of insulting white South Africans who feel unsafe or marginalised.
The group was welcomed at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC by US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, who described them as having lived “under a shadow of violence and terror.”
Photos from the arrival area showed families holding young children and waving US flags, surrounded by red, white, and blue decorations.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa rejected the US’s depiction of South Africa in a separate address at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
“I told President Trump over the phone—your assessment is not true,” Ramaphosa said. “We’re the only country on the continent where colonisers came to stay, and we never drove them out. Afrikaners are not being persecuted.”
Ramaphosa also questioned the legitimacy of the group’s refugee status, arguing they “don’t fit the bill.” Under US guidelines, applicants must belong to a racial minority and show evidence of past persecution or credible fear of future persecution.
At the centre of the controversy is South Africa’s land reform policy. In January, Ramaphosa signed a law allowing land to be seized without compensation under specific conditions deemed equitable and in the public interest. Though controversial, the government insists no land has yet been taken under the new legislation.
More than 30 years after the end of apartheid, most prime farmland remains in white hands. The slow pace of redistribution continues to fuel frustration, particularly among the black majority.
The diplomatic tension may escalate further. Trump has reportedly threatened to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless the “situation is taken care of.” Ramaphosa, meanwhile, has said he expects to meet his US counterpart soon to discuss the issue directly.
