PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced a group of 59 white South Africans who have relocated to the United States as ‘cowards’, following their resettlement under refugee status granted by US President Donald Trump.
The group of Afrikaners arrived in the US on Monday, claiming racial discrimination and security fears in South Africa. Trump, backed by fellow South African-born figure Elon Musk, has described their situation as a form of ‘genocide’ — a claim widely rejected by experts.
But Ramaphosa has flatly dismissed both the migration and the justification behind it.
‘As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run away from our problems. When you run away, you are a coward, and that’s a real cowardly act,’ he said while addressing an agricultural expo in Free State province.
President rejects refugee narrative
The US State Department said the Afrikaners were admitted based on fears of persecution, a move cheered by Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, who welcomed them at Dulles International Airport with the words: ‘Welcome to the land of the free.’
But Ramaphosa told business leaders at an Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, that he had personally called Trump to refute the claims.
‘We’re the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay, and we have never driven them out,’ he said.
The South African president added that those who left were ‘not favourably disposed’ to efforts to redress historic inequalities.
‘I can bet you that they will be back soon because there is no country like South Africa,’ he said.
Land reform and lingering resentment
The refugee row comes amid mounting international scrutiny over South Africa’s land reform policy, particularly a January law that permits expropriation without compensation in cases deemed to be in the public interest.
Though no land has been seized under the new law, critics — including the US — argue the measure targets white landowners unfairly. At the same time, frustration among black South Africans is rising over the slow pace of reform, with white farmers still owning the majority of prime farmland 30 years after apartheid.
Ramaphosa’s comments sparked social media backlash, with some accusing him of downplaying genuine fears among white South Africans.
Nonetheless, he stood firm, saying the resettled group ‘don’t fit the bill’ for refugee status.
According to the US embassy in Pretoria, South African applicants must be from a racial minority and able to cite past or feared future persecution to qualify.
Diplomatic tension looms
The issue may escalate. Ramaphosa confirmed he is scheduled to meet Trump soon to address the matter directly.
Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless, in his words, the ‘situation is taken care of.’
The war of words underscores a growing diplomatic rift between Washington and Pretoria, as South Africa seeks to push forward reforms while defending its sovereignty on race and justice issues.
