REFUGEES Archives

By Sitha Maliwa: (Image: Facebook) When 49 Afrikaners left South Africa seeking refugee status in the United States, their departure set off waves of outrage, disbelief, and debate. Some accused them of cowardice, others mocked them for playing the victim. But the truth is, this wasn’t just about 49 people packing up and leaving. It struck a deeper nerve in South African society, a nerve that reveals something uncomfortable about both those who left and those who stayed behind. On the surface, the move seems absurd. Afrikaners - a group that once sat atop the racial hierarchy in apartheid South Africa - claiming refugee status in the United States? Refugee status is reserved for those fleeing war, persecution, or systemic violence. What exactly are these 49 running from? ...

By Sitha Maliwa: International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola. (Image: Facebook) The departure of 49 white South Africans aboard a quiet charter flight from Johannesburg has erupted into a diplomatic and moral firestorm, not because they left, but because of what they claimed as they left: persecution. They were granted refugee status by the United States, fleeing what they allege is racial targeting, rural violence, and state-sanctioned dispossession. But back home, the South African government has responded with disbelief - and thinly veiled fury. DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri did not mince his words. “You can’t be seeking refuge, then go back home, have a braai, and then return to the country where you say you’re safer,” Phiri told reporters...

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Tag: REFUGEES

AFRIKANER EXODUS: The 49’s silent protest against equality

THE GREAT TREK: South Africa slams departing Afrikaner refugees