South African ambassador Roelf Meyer rejects Afrikaner genocide claim

South Africa’s new ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has rejected the claim that white Afrikaners face genocide, telling the BBC that the picture presented to President Donald Trump was misrepresented. Meyer, himself an Afrikaner, said his background gave him standing to challenge the claim. His comments come as Washington continues to process refugee applications from Afrikaners on the basis of its stated concerns about their treatment in South Africa.

In the interview, Meyer said the notion of a mass attack on Afrikaners did not exist. He said he had never experienced anything of that kind himself and questioned where the information reaching Trump had come from. His personal experience is part of the case he put to the BBC; it is not, by itself, a measure of the scale or causes of violence across South Africa.

What Meyer told the BBC

Meyer recalled hearing Trump speak about genocide against white Afrikaners and wondering, “Is he talking about us?” The ambassador said he wanted to speak with the president about the situation. As a “born Afrikaner”, he said, he had the “legitimacy” to do so. He also stressed that his diplomatic role was not limited to representing Afrikaners.

Meyer was a leading negotiator in the talks that ended apartheid, representing the National Party. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was also a key negotiator, for the African National Congress. Meyer told the BBC that the trust between them, and Ramaphosa’s recognition of the value of appointing an Afrikaner, helped explain his selection as ambassador amid strained relations with Washington.

The dispute over refugees and crime

The Trump administration maintains that Afrikaners face persecution. A White House spokeswoman told the BBC that Afrikaners were being raped, maimed, killed and driven from their property, and said the administration was continuing to process refugee applications. The BBC reported that nearly 13,000 refugees had been admitted to the US since the pathway began, all but three of them South African. Those admissions are figures reported by the BBC, while the administration’s account of persecution remains its stated position.

The BBC also reported that the administration planned to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners over the following 12 months, citing a notice sent to Congress. That figure is a plan, rather than an admission count. Trump made his genocide allegation during a White House meeting with Ramaphosa last year, according to the BBC. Washington has also announced visa restrictions for South Africans it says are responsible for race-based discrimination against white people.

Meyer acknowledged that South Africa has serious problems preventing and combating crime. He told the BBC that the problem extends beyond rural areas and farm attacks, pointing in particular to crime in black townships. The BBC reported that police data show most victims of crime in South Africa, including on farms, are black. Meyer called for US assistance with crime-fighting resources, including equipment that could improve response times.

The BBC interviewed South Africans who described sharply different experiences and views. One woman who moved to Texas through the refugee pathway said she had lived in fear on a South African farm, although she said her family had not been harmed in three incidents when people entered their property. An Afrikaner politician seeking to move to the US alleged a political drive to kill white people and farmers. A Johannesburg pastor questioned why Afrikaners had been singled out for refugee treatment when South Africa also faced gender-based violence.

What remains unresolved

Meyer wants the US executive order underpinning the refugee pathway revoked, the BBC reported. He said South Africa had addressed US concerns and argued that its land expropriation law was awaiting a court judgment. His call leaves a substantial policy disagreement: Washington continues to offer the pathway, while South Africa’s ambassador disputes the premise behind it. The interviews and public comments establish those positions; they do not independently determine the causes of individual attacks or settle the legal classification of violence in the country.