Over 300 White Christian Leaders Accuse US Government of Cheap Political Points, SA Stans

• Religious leaders in South Africa have slammed Statements made by the United States of America about Afrikaners
• More than 300 Christian leaders signed a statement against the claims that white people are victims of violence and are victimised
• The Christian leaders accused the United States of garnering cheap political points by weaponizing existing tensions in the US

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG — South Africans stood with a group of more than 300 white Christian leaders who have criticised the United States of America for accusing the government of victimizing and persecuting white people as per US President Donald Trump's Executive Order.

What did the Christian leaders say?

Over 1000 Afrikaners gathered outside the US Embassy in Pretoria on 15 February 2025 to hand over a memorandum requesting the United States' assistance in battling the Expropriation Act. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Act into law in January, and it has caused considerable controversy. The Democratic Alliance, AfriForum and other groups have opposed it.

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In response, the White South African Christian Leaders said they unanimously reject the claims that white people are being oppressed or persecuted. In a statement, the leaders said the United States' narrative is founded on outright lies, distortions and fabrications. They said the US's stance does not reflect the reality of our country and if anything, serves to heighten existing tensions in South Africa.

The leaders said that white South Africans resisted the government's initiatives to address the racial injustices of apartheid, and accused the US of weaponising the resultant tensions for cheap political points.

What you need to know about the US and SA

• The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he will not attend the G20 Summit in South Africa
• Donald Trump recently threatened to impose a 25% tariff on steel products which could affect the steel industry
• the Motor Industry Staff Association pleaded with the government to repair relations with the United States

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Donald Trump 'not yet committed' to gracing G20 Summit amid laboured US-SA relations

A look at Trump's history with South Africa

In a related article, Briefly News examined Donald Trump's history with South Africa, beginning with his engagements with the country during his first term as the US president in 2018. Trump initially called on his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate alleged widescale killings of white farmers.

Briefly News also spoke to experts including Wits economist Dr Kenneth Creamer, who said Trump's threatened economic sanctions are a terrible approach that could harm South Africa.

Source: Briefly News