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2mo ago

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The executive order, influenced by far-right narratives, falsely claims racial persecution of white South Africans under the Expropriation Act.

White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Overview

  • President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting refugee status to Afrikaners, citing alleged racial discrimination in South Africa, a claim widely debunked by experts.
  • The Expropriation Act, central to the controversy, aims to address historic racial land inequality in South Africa but explicitly prohibits arbitrary land seizures without compensation.
  • Far-right groups, including South Africa's AfriForum, have lobbied U.S. leaders by promoting unfounded 'white genocide' narratives tied to farm murders and land reform policies.
  • Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire and Trump ally, has echoed claims of racial persecution while opposing South Africa's affirmative action laws affecting his business interests.
  • Critics argue the refugee order and related rhetoric distort facts about South Africa's land reform, fueling racial anxieties and advancing far-right agendas in Western nations.