By Daanyaal Matthews
Following an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump, 49 South Africans have departed for the United States after being designated as refugees under the U.S. resettlement program. The specific details of the resettlement—such as where the individuals will be housed—remain unclear, as the full scope of the program has yet to be disclosed.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has firmly rejected misinformation from the United States, particularly from President Trump, reiterating that Afrikaners are not being racially targeted in South Africa.
Speaking to VOC Newsbeat, Professor John Stremlau, honorary professor of international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, described the relocation of the 49 Afrikaners as reflective of broader internal debates in the U.S., especially regarding the relevance and implementation of affirmative action policies.
According to Stremlau, South Africa’s commitment to affirmative action may be one of the key reasons behind Trump’s executive order and the decision to grant refugee status to the Afrikaners.
“The Afrikaners only represent 58% of the 7.7% white population in this country, and if this country is going to succeed in democracy, you have to have diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that is one of the reasons Donald Trump attacked South Africa,” stated Stremlau.
Listen to the full interview here:
