President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized a group of 59 white South Africans who relocated to the United States, calling them “cowards.” These Afrikaners were granted refugee status by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed they were victims of racial discrimination. Speaking at an agricultural event in Free State province, Ramaphosa expressed confidence that they would eventually return, insisting they do not meet the criteria for refugees, according to BBC.
Ramaphosa argued that the group chose to leave because they were unwilling to support ongoing efforts to address South Africa’s challenges. He emphasized that true citizens, regardless of race, should remain and help solve the nation’s problems rather than fleeing. “They will be back soon because there is no country like South Africa,” he added.
Describing their decision as a “sad moment for them,” Ramaphosa said it reflected dissatisfaction with the country’s initiatives to rectify historical inequalities left by apartheid. He asserted that South Africans are resilient and do not abandon their nation in difficult times. “Running away is an act of cowardice,” he declared.
The U.S. decision to grant refugee status to the Afrikaners is rooted in Trump’s 2018 policy favoring asylum for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaner farmers, whom he described as victims of “unjust racial discrimination.” This stance has been controversial, as it prioritizes a minority group amid broader global refugee crises.
Despite the end of apartheid in 1994, white South Africans retain considerable economic power, controlling approximately 75% of private land and holding wealth around 20 times greater than that of the Black majority, according to the Review of Political Economy.
Ramaphosa also dismissed allegations of racial discrimination against white South Africans, noting that South Africa is unique for allowing its former colonizers to remain peacefully. He claimed to have informed Trump directly that such claims were unfounded.