Trump claims white genocide in South Africa

Last year, President Donald Trump accused South Africa of white genocide in a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House and launched a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners.

Meyer appointed to challenge the claim

South Africa's new ambassador to Washington, Roelf Meyer, is a born Afrikaner appointed in April after US-South Africa relations soured. He was a chief mediator ending apartheid in the nineteen nineties.

Meyer's blunt response to Trump

Meyer tells the BBC that the notion of a mass attack on the white Afrikaner minority in South Africa does not exist. His identity as a born Afrikaner gives him legitimacy to say so.

“Is he talking about us?”

Nearly thirteen thousand Afrikaners admitted

Since last year, nearly thirteen thousand refugees have been admitted to the US under Trump's pathway. All but three were South African, including people who say they feared for their safety.

One refugee's story of fear

Lielie moved with her family to Texas from South Africa, where they lived on a farm growing macadamia nuts and bananas. Despite security measures, she said she felt fear the whole time.

“fear the whole time”

Trump plans to admit more Afrikaners

The Trump administration is planning to admit up to seventeen thousand five hundred additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next twelve months, according to a notice sent to Congress on Tuesday.

White House defends the refugee pathway

A White House spokeswoman says President Trump has provided a lifeline for Afrikaners being raped, maimed, killed and driven off their property across South Africa.

“raped, maimed, killed and driven off their property”

Some Afrikaners support the genocide claim

SJ Du Venage, a council member of the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party, argues there is a political drive towards killing white people and killing farmers on farms.

“political drive towards killing white people”

Crime data contradicts genocide claim

Police data shows the majority of victims of crime in South Africa, including on farms, are black. Farm violence is an issue but represents a smaller number of homicides in the country.

Expert questions refugee programme use

Larry Bartlett, former director of the US Refugee Assistance Programme, says it could be unlawful to use the programme for people who really have no chance to go home.

“unlawful”

Loss of privilege, not persecution

Rudi Swanepoel, a pastor from Johannesburg, says it is not persecution but a loss of privilege causing some Afrikaners to feel aggrieved. White South Africans once controlled resources they now must share.

“loss of privilege”

Meyer calls for revocation of Trump order

Meyer wants Trump's executive order against South Africa, which underpins the refugee pathway, revoked. He says South Africa has addressed US concerns and that crime is a broader problem affecting all communities.