Dirco Slams AfriForum For Supporting Trump’s Afrikaner Refugee Policy

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has taken a hard stance against AfriForum after the lobby group publicly welcomed a controversial refugee policy from the United States that gives preference to Afrikaners.

Pretoria Pushes Back Against “Politically Motivated” Policy

In a policy decision published in the Federal Register, US President Donald Trump capped the number of refugees for the 2026 fiscal year at 7,500 the lowest in American history. What has caused uproar is the administration’s decision to allocate most of those places to white Afrikaners, citing “targeted discrimination and insecurity” faced by the group in South Africa.

Dirco wasted no time responding. The department labelled both Washington’s move and AfriForum’s endorsement of it as politically motivated, divisive, and an affront to South Africa’s sovereignty.

“AfriForum’s logic: We support the rule of law only if the South African courts rule in our favour. If they don’t, we cry to foreign governments and undermine our country’s sovereignty,” said Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.

AfriForum Defends Its Position

AfriForum, never one to shy away from controversy, defended its stance by saying the policy reflects “legitimate international concern” for Afrikaners’ safety. The group cited what it claims are ongoing threats, referencing the “Kill the Boer” chant and alleging government inaction.

“The US embassy and Donald Trump’s concerns regarding the well-being of Afrikaners are understandable,” AfriForum said. “President Cyril Ramaphosa and the courts still refuse to condemn calls for the murder of Afrikaners.”

A Long-Running Narrative Of Victimhood

AfriForum has built much of its political influence on claims that the South African government ignores violence against white farmers a narrative often disputed by independent crime data and researchers. Studies have consistently shown that farm attacks, while real and tragic, are not racially targeted at the scale the organisation claims.

The group’s alignment with Trump’s administration has revived old tensions about race, nationalism, and the legacy of inequality in South Africa’s democracy. Political analysts say the latest exchange exposes how foreign policies can inflame local divisions, particularly when they appear to favour one community over another.

Public Reaction And Local Context

On social media, South Africans have been sharply divided. Some echoed Dirco’s view that AfriForum’s move is “unpatriotic,” while others argued that the Trump policy exposes South Africa’s deepening racial anxieties.

Twitter user @Lebo_Maseko posted, “AfriForum running to Trump proves they don’t see themselves as part of South Africa just beneficiaries of it.” Others, however, defended AfriForum’s position, calling it “a wake-up call for the government to protect all citizens equally.”

As South Africa heads toward another election cycle, Dirco’s firm rebuke may resonate with those who view foreign interference as a threat to national unity. But AfriForum’s campaign continues to test the boundaries between minority rights advocacy and political provocation both at home and abroad.

Read More: Trump’s New Refugee Programme Priotitizes Afrikaaners

{Source:IOL}

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