In the last few months, white South African farmers have tried to gain asylum in the United States. This move has been the subject of much discussion, contention and outcry. This conversation is suddenly very topical following the week of press releases and statements by former President Donald Trump. Once acclaimed as the “rural president,” he’s consistently exhibited a profound disregard for the plight of these farmers since the initial months of his term. The politics around this issue lie at a vivid nexus of race, property, and foreign affairs.
White South Africans make up about 7% of the country’s population while still controlling at least half of its land. This demographic reality lies at the heart of the current tensions around land expropriation without compensation policies. In 2024, South Africa adopted an Expropriation Bill, giving the government the power to expropriate land in the interest of the public good. This decision has initiated an intense discussion on land ownership and racial equity across the nation.
Nelson Mandela’s historic wave to a massive crowd during a campaign rally in 1994 symbolizes the country’s transition to democracy and the ongoing struggle for equality. Even with these gains, many white South Africans remain concerned that they are being discriminated against. They say they’re being discriminated against by the current administration.
So far, forty-nine Evangelicals have accepted Trump’s asylum offer, with the first group of ten arriving in the U.S. about two weeks ago. This announcement has raised the hopes of countless South Africans. It brings to the fore crucial questions of race and privilege in America. Jonathan Jansen, the former vice-chancellor of Free State University and current professor of education at Stellenbosch University, has expressed doubts about the motives of these asylum applications.
“South Africans, Black and white, regard it as a joke. It’s a huge joke here.” – Jonathan Jansen
Jansen spotlighted a key topic of concern. He added that the picture painted by those seeking asylum ignores the reality of land dispossession in South Africa’s past. He dismissed claims of white genocide as alarmist. He thinks such claims are driven largely by the exaggerated anger of a very vocal minority and have gained steam in service of Trump’s purposes.
Jansen was even able to speculate that it was people like Elon Musk who might have informed Trump on South Africa. Their collective impact could be massive in this regard. He pointed out that South Africa’s hardline approach in turn may have played increased animosity within Washington’s hand.
President Cyril Ramaphosa—as well known for his business acumen as for his radical past—is sharpening his shoes to visit Donald Trump at the White House. We hope this meeting will be a catalyst for transformative conversations on these urgent matters. Jansen thinks what’s in store for those who fled to the U.S. won’t be what they imagined.
“I’ll make a bet with you that many of them will be back here in no time.” – Jonathan Jansen
Jansen elaborated on how even white South Africans have a hard time hearing complaints about a Black-led government. This continues to be a daunting reality even three decades post-apartheid.
“There are grievances with a Black government, which is very hard for some of my white brothers and sisters to accept, even after 30 years.” – Jonathan Jansen
The South African government vigorously condemned Trump’s inflammatory statements regarding expropriation without compensation. Most importantly, they unequivocally announced the end of useless “megaphone diplomacy.” This is a heated response to growing pressures on domestic communications, but more importantly, on international relations.
Despite the focus on white farmers’ claims of racial discrimination, Jansen emphasizes that among ordinary Black South Africans, these issues do not carry significant weight. He explains that the general population sees the issue as tangential to their day-to-day fight for survival.
“What riles is that you’re giving attention to people who for 350 years were oppressing us. My argument is: don’t get into a tizzy. But I also regard it quite seriously as a slap in the face for Black South Africans.” – Jonathan Jansen
He further insists that the negotiations that ended apartheid involved significant concessions from white South Africans. Yet, most of them are unable to come to terms with their historic complicity in this oppression.
“We made these enormous concessions during the negotiations to avert a war under Mandela. Whites here would be treated, as they always were, as fellow citizens as opposed to colonisers.” – Jonathan Jansen