Ramaphosa slams ‘white genocide’ claims as Afrikaner refugee debate escalates

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Getty Images/Per-Anders Pettersson

President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticised South Africans seeking refuge in the US, saying he finds it “unbelievable” that some continue to believe the falsehoods about the country, including claims of a white genocide.

The US refugee programme stems from a 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which prioritised Afrikaner resettlement on the grounds that they face racial discrimination in South Africa.

Pretoria criticised the decision by the US to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

In May, The Citizen reported that more white South Africans could be heading to the US after the Trump administration proposed plans to admit an additional 10 000 Afrikaner asylum seekers from South Africa, raising the refugee cap for this group to 17 500 in 2026.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s election trail, Ramaphosa said he finds it “unbelievable” that some people still believe what he described as falsehoods about South Africa, despite repeated evidence to the contrary.

“It is unbelievable that people continue to believe all the falsehoods that they spread.”

He said some people in the US have already concluded that what is being propagated about South Africa “doesn’t exist”, but argued that fellow South Africans continue to promote those narratives abroad.

“It is our own people, our own fellow South Africans, who seem to have found a very fertile and accepting voice in the US to rubbish their own country.”

Ramaphosa described the situation as deeply unfortunate and said there was a need to engage with those who may be following and believing such claims.

“We need to interact with those who may be following all that and even believing what those people are saying.”

He said the objective should be to persuade people otherwise or present them with facts.

“With the view of either convincing them or putting forward facts.”

Responding on X, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel accused Ramaphosa of refusing to take responsibility for the consequences of the Expropriation Act, arguing that government should stop blaming others for South Africa’s strained relations with the United States.

“Perhaps it is time for Ramaphosa and other ANC leaders to take full responsibility for the negative consequences of their own irresponsible behaviour,” Kriel said, adding that AfriForum remains committed to helping find solutions that are in the interests of all South Africans.

Last week, The Citizen reported that the US is considering spending more than $335,000 (about R6 million) on research and an advertising campaign in South Africa to determine why significantly fewer Afrikaners than expected have applied for refugee status under a programme championed by Trump.

In 2025, the US State Department said Trump had “prioritised” refugee admissions for Afrikaners.

Afrikaners now account for 99% of refugee admissions since October 2025, highlighting the programme’s sharp focus compared with restrictions on other nationalities.

US officials falsely claim Afrikaners face race‑based discrimination, escalating hostility and targeted violence, particularly against farmers.

South Africa criticised the decision by the US to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

The government argues that land reform laws apply broadly and that violent crime is a national challenge.

Unfortunately, the real unpatriotic behaviour is that of @PresidencyZA Cyril Ramaphosa, who signed the Expropriation Act, which allows for expropriation without compensation, knowing full well the devastating consequences it could have for South Africa’s economy, ordinary South… https://t.co/l9VWkqPTMD

However, according to a report by The Guardian, US officials are puzzled by the lukewarm response despite a policy that prioritises Afrikaner resettlement in America.

State department officials, according to an August proposal seen by the publication, outlined a roughly $335,000 research and advertising effort after applications to the refugee Programme “trended lower than expected” since Afrikaners were allowed to apply directly online in November 2025.

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