A group of prominent Afrikaners is in Washington DC this week for meetings with officials at the White House, State Department, and Congress, to discuss the treatment of South Africa’s white minority.
They are seeking to capitalize on the attention the Trump administration is paying to Afrikaner communities.
Ties between Pretoria and Washington have been tense since US President Donald Trump took office and further deteriorated after he confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa with allegations that Afrikaners were facing mass killings and land seizures — claims the South Africa leader rejected.
Corné Mulder, leader of the conservative Freedom Front Plus party and a member of the delegation, told Semafor that he welcomed the Trump administration’s focus on Afrikaner issues and believed reforming land expropriation laws and improving protections for farmers were “non-negotiables” for Washington.
“Are we asking for sanctions? Of course not,” said Gerhard Papenfus, another delegation member. “But there needs to be a bit of stick.”