Pretoria – Tensions are rising between South Africa and the United States after reports confirmed that the US plans to accept white Afrikaners as part of a new refugee resettlement program.
Documents reviewed by CBS show that US officials are preparing to welcome the first group next week. A press event is scheduled for Monday at Dulles Airport in Virginia to receive the arrivals. According to US media, 54 Afrikaners will be in the first wave.
The plan is reportedly a “priority” for the Trump administration, though the White House has not confirmed any official timeline. 
In a strong statement released Friday, South Africa’s foreign ministry labelled the move as “politically motivated.” The government accused Washington of trying to undermine South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
The criticism comes after Donald Trump signed an executive order in February, describing white Afrikaners as victims of racial discrimination. This opened the door for their potential resettlement in the US — even as the administration moved to restrict nearly all other asylum claims.
South African officials said they will not block those who choose to leave. However, they have requested that all individuals be fully vetted and cleared of any criminal charges.
The government also denied that white minorities face systematic violence. It said crime data does not support claims that any racial group is being targeted in farm attacks.
Despite this, several white farmer advocacy groups claim their communities are being attacked because of their race. These groups have long accused the South African government of turning a blind eye to rural violence.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed that interviews with applicants are ongoing. They said the focus is on Afrikaners who claim to be victims of unjust racial discrimination. No specific date was given for when the broader resettlement would begin.
The Trump administration has also accused South Africa of land seizures without compensation, specifically from white farmers. Pretoria has denied those accusations repeatedly.
Adding to the controversy is Elon Musk, a South African-born tech billionaire and key Trump adviser. Musk has openly criticised the South African government, claiming it is enabling a “genocide” against white farmers — a claim widely dismissed by experts and officials in South Africa.
The South African government has responded to Trump’s executive order with sharp words. It called it “ironic” that the US would offer refuge to a group “among the most economically privileged,” while turning away asylum seekers fleeing war and poverty from other parts of the world.
As the first group of Afrikaner refugees prepares to land in the US, the political fallout continues on both sides of the Atlantic.
