“This Is It!”: Former ANC MP Lawrence McDonald Settles in Florida Under Trump Refugee Programme
- Former ANC MP Lawrence McDonald left South Africa for Florida in May 2026 under a Trump administration minority resettlement programme
- McDonald served a full five-year parliamentary term before resigning from the ANC in 2025 and claiming he faced death threats
- His departure sparked a sharp backlash in South Africa, with critics and former colleagues questioning his motives
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Youtube
SOUTH AFRICA — Former ANC Member of Parliament Lawrence Edward McDonald has relocated to Florida in the United States after being granted refugee status under a controversial Trump administration resettlement programme targeting South African minorities.
McDonald, born in February 1966, spent decades as an ANC loyalist before his relationship with the party broke down irreparably during his parliamentary term. He was elected to the National Assembly on 22 May 2019, ranked 8th on the ANC's Free State regional list, and served on the Portfolio Committee on Transport as the party's whip.
From ANC loyalist to refugee claimant
During his five years in Parliament, McDonald grew increasingly critical of the ANC. He later described the party as "racist," alleging it scapegoated white South Africans and minorities for the country's problems. He also cited pressure to vote against investigating President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal, as well as mandatory party salary levies, as pivotal moments in his disillusionment.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Despite those grievances, McDonald remained in Parliament until the end of his full term on 28 May 2024, securing his five-year parliamentary pension before declining to contest the 2024 elections.
His departure from the ANC came after a housing dispute in which he refused to vacate a heavily subsidised Cape Town parliamentary village residence, where former MPs paid between R182 and R362 per month with free utilities. After requesting an extension on health grounds, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure directed the State Attorney in April 2025 to begin formal eviction proceedings against him alongside three former MK Party MPs. He vacated the property following that legal action.
Arrival in Florida and public backlash
McDonald formally resigned from the ANC in 2025, claiming he had received death threats against himself and his family. He subsequently applied for and was granted refugee status under the Trump administration's resettlement pathway, which the White House framed around claims of racial persecution in South Africa.
He arrived in Florida around 1 May 2026 and appeared on right-wing YouTube broadcasts shortly afterwards, including a channel run by retired US military intelligence officer Chris Wyatt, where he praised the United States and repeated narratives about minority persecution.
The South African government has strongly opposed the US resettlement programme. Critics at home have accused McDonald of opportunism, arguing that he collected a full state salary and parliamentary pension while serving the very government he now claims persecuted him.
See the interview below:
More on South Africans studying and travelling abroad
- Briefly News recently reported on fully funded UK Master’s scholarships open to eligible South Africans for the 2027 academic year.
- The Netherlands has set out the routes to Dutch citizenship that South Africans may be able to follow.
- The United States has updated its highest travel warning list, which includes African countries that South Africans may visit.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
