South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized a group of 59 white South Africans who relocated to the United States under refugee status granted by President Donald Trump, calling them “cowards” and predicting that they will return.
The group of Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. earlier this week after Trump cited racial discrimination as grounds for their asylum.
However, Ramaphosa dismissed these claims, arguing that the individuals who left were unhappy with ongoing land reform efforts aimed at addressing inequities stemming from the apartheid era.
“As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run away from our problems. We must stay here and solve our problems. When you run away, you are a coward, and that’s a real cowardly act,” Ramaphosa stated during a public address.
The U.S. government’s decision has reignited debate over land ownership in South Africa.
While Ramaphosa’s administration has committed to addressing disparities, critics, including Trump and South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk, have described the situation as a “genocide” against white farmers, a claim widely discredited by experts.
