AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel Reacts to 49 Afrikaners Leaving SA To Go to the USA

• The CEO of Afriforum, Kallie Kriel, commented on the 49 Afrikaners who relocated to the United States of America
• The first group of Afrikaners who took US President Donald Trump's offer to be resettled as refugees left the country on 11 May 2025
• Kriel said Afrikaners cannot survive in the United States, and said what is happening in South Africa cannot be defined as white genocide

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The CEO of AfriForum, Kallie Kriel, commented on the 49 Afrikaners who left South Africa to go to the United States on 11 May 2025. He said Afrikaners cannot survive as a cultural community in the United States or any other country.

AfriForum speaks on Afrikaners relocating

Kriel spoke in an interview and said that Afrikaners cannot survive as a cultural community in the United States or other countries. He said that he and his family are remaining in the country. Kriel also said that what is happening in South Africa to Afrikaners cannot be considered white genocide.

He did, however, say that Afrikaners are fighting against South Africans singing the Kill the Boer song. He was referring to Economic Freedom Fighters president Julius Malema, who recently sang the song during a Sharpeville Massacre commemoration.

The AfriForum leader said South Africans must accept that farm attacks are a problem that must be addressed and that Afrikaners are losing confidence, which is why they have opted to relocate.

Afrikaners relocated to the USA

Afrikaners landed in the United States of America on 12 May after they took off from the OR Tambo International Airport. They have accepted Trump's offer to resettle them as refugees on the false notion that Afrikaners are facing a white genocide and persecution.

What you need to know about AfriForum

AfriForum called for international sanctions against Malema after he sang the Kill the Boer chant

• Kriel blamed the African National Congress after Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African goods
• AfriForum demanded that the South African Broadcasting Corporation explain why it did not air the Afrikaans news broadcast on 7 April
• The organisation also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa after he appointed Mcebisi Jonas as the South African envoy to the United States
• AfriForum also welcomed the United Kingdom High Commission's decision to reject Malema's visa application on 8 May

South Africans react

Netizens commenting on IOL's Facebook post discussed AfriForum's position.

Bouga Koulibaly Mogorosi said:

"They opposed the Bela Act, and now their children will have to learn everything in English."

Paul Petrus Van Rooy said:

"They kept his seat. He never turned up, so they left with 49."

Tsholofelo Sebokolodi said:

"We all have concerns and they are genuine, but I can never leave South Africa even if I had the easy option."

Tarryn Le Chat said:

"This guy flip-flops like a fish out of water."

Repty Orah Magaole said:

"I just hope they're not running away from their debts."

American church leader refuses to help Afrikaner refugees

In another article, Briefly News reported that the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Sean Rowe, said his church would not help Afrikaners resettle. He wrote a letter to church members announcing that the church would also cancel its resettlement program with the US federal government.

Rowe said the church received a mandate from the federal government to help the Afrikaners resettle. He said that the church could not help Afrikaners when other refugees needed help.

Source: Briefly News