Trump’s immigration order: Afrikaners in Pietermaritzburg choose home over relocation
AFRIKANERS living in an impoverished community in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, have rejected President Donald Trump’s invitation to relocate to America saying South Africa is their home.
Others stated that the offer, which currently covers all Afrikaners who are “victims of unjust racial discrimination”, was unrealistic as migrating would require hefty money for visa applications, flights, and settling abroad.
This reporter visited the Oribi village, which is associated with poverty, drug abuse, and crime, to speak to some residents who mostly survive by doing odd jobs in neighbouring upmarket suburbs, working as car guards, or relying on government grants.
Some say their school-going age children, were still not in school because there were no no-fee schools nearby as they were in black townships and rural areas.
Early this month, Trump signed an executive order to “prioritise humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination”.
The order accused the South African government of passing countless policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and “hateful rhetoric and government actions fuelling disproportionate violence against racially disfavoured landowners”.
A resident of Scottsville Extension, Kim Larsson, said she loves South Africa and will never trade it for anything, while some Oribi residents refused to be drawn into commenting about the order, saying: “It is just pure politics that has nothing to do with poor Afrikaners.”
Others expressed anger at Trump for dividing South Africans.
“There is racism wherever you go, I am going nowhere and even if I were a farmer, I would not go,” she said.
She said her life in South Africa was fine although “I am not rolling in the money, I’m getting a minimum wage but I am happy”.
“If you cannot make it work in your country, how are you going to make it work elsewhere,” said Larsson.
When approached, Crystle Boucher, 37, said she lives among blacks, coloureds, and white people who are all suffering.
She is disappointed with Trump for freezing USAID, which she said helped his community get healthcare services from charity organisations that often visited her village.
“He (Trump) took medication away from people who have HIV/Aids, which is not right,” said Boucher.
She also rejected going to America, saying when she gets there, she might end up not knowing herself.
“Even if he is saying he is going to pay for this and that, I don’t know whether I and my children are going to be safe or if going there is going to work for me,” she said.
However, she said her life in South Africa has never been easy as she has been battling to get employment.
“I am a single mother of three children and I am struggling to get my children in school as the government is not helping,” she said.
Jani Lang said taking the refugee offer would be taking Afrikaner people out of their world.
“He is creating a problem where there is no problem,” said Lang.
She said instead of prioritising Afrikaners, Trump should create opportunities in South Africa for all racial groups.
“There are lots of black farmers, so why isn’t no opportunity for them as well to go overseas,” she said.
She said transformation policies were necessary because “at the end of the day, I believe that we all should have equal opportunities”.
“BEE is part of it because you are now helping previously oppressed people to better themselves,” said Lang.
She said Oribi was not a comfortable place to live in because of the crime rate and racism targeting white people.
“Living in Oribi is not what it used to be years ago when everybody got along and stayed together. Now people are divided,” she said.
She believed there was a chance that going to America might help rebuild her life.
“But it would mean I am leaving my roots behind, I am leaving my land behind. I get nothing out of my land but I still love it because this is my country and where I grew up,” said Lang.
Rudi Kritzinger said there would be nothing exciting about leaving his country.
“I don’t know what the story is, I just saw some headlines, but I don’t even consider that,” he said.
Hugo van Niekerk, the leader of a predominantly Afrikaner Pango squatter camp in Munsieville outside Krugersdorp, Gauteng, said his community was in the dark about the process of immigration, although it was a “great” opportunity to change his life.
“It is good, but how are we going to pay to get that side, because I don’t have money.
“I need a visa, flight ticket, and a certain amount of money to settle there,” said Van Niekerk.
bongani.hans@inl.co.za