AfriForum, Solidarity Pressured to Name Journalists Allegedly Paid to Discredit Them
- AfriForum and Solidarity face growing backlash as they refuse to name journalists they allege are funded by state bodies to discredit their organisations
- The calls came after AfriForum CEO, Kallie Kriel, shared a video online claiming that journalists were being paid to push certain narratives
- Some social media users questioned the claims, saying allegations of that nature should be backed by clear evidence and openness
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement are under growing pressure on social media to reveal the names of journalists they allege are receiving payments from the State Security Agency (SSA) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to undermine the two organisations.
AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement to back claims
The pressure intensified after AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel shared a video online in which he claimed that certain journalists were being paid by the state to attack AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement. Kriel alleged that the information came from a former senior journalist, saying at least two reporters were allegedly receiving money from the State Security Agency (SSA) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to discredit the two organisations.
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Kriel said AfriForum has formally moved to seek answers. He explained that the organisation has submitted requests under the Promotion of Access to Information Act to both the Department of International Relations and the State Security Agency, asking them to disclose the names of any academics, journalists or commentators allegedly receiving payments from the state.
Social media users express scepticism
Several social media users responded skeptically to the allegations, urging AfriForum to disclose the names to support its claims. One user on X, Nic Andersen, suggested that without specific names, the accusations unfairly cast suspicion on all journalists in South Africa. Martin Menyatso dismissed the claims outright, arguing that journalists would not need outside influence to report independently.
Gosiame Legoale called for transparency, saying that if the accusations were serious, the names should be made public in the interest of national accountability. Kriel maintained that the claims were grounded in AfriForum’s experience. He said the organisation had faced a coordinated campaign since February aimed at discrediting it, and noted that several media outlets have already issued apologies for publishing false reports about AfriForum.
Source: Twitter
Trip to the United States
The controversy follows AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement’s lobbying trip to the United States in February 2025, where they engaged with political figures and policy influencers in Washington, DC. The groups said the purpose of the visit was to highlight their concerns over the South African government’s treatment of minority communities.
The groups said the trip was intended to draw international attention to issues they believe the Ramaphosa administration has ignored or refused to address, urging the US to put pressure on what they described as an “arrogant” government. Among the matters they raised were farm murders, which they claim are being downplayed, despite official crime statistics not supporting the view that these crimes are racially targeted.
They also stated that public rhetoric inciting violence against Afrikaners was not being sufficiently addressed. AfriForum and Solidarity further criticised government policies and legislation, including the Expropriation Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, claiming these measures discriminate based on race and undermine the rights of minorities. The US trip drew sharp criticism at home, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other government officials denouncing it as unpatriotic and accusing the groups of spreading misinformation that could damage South Africa’s reputation abroad.
3 More stories about AfriForum
- Briefly News previously reported that AfriForum had handed over a dossier to US President Donald Trump's administration about Julius Malema.
- AfriForum's Gerrie Nel has written a letter to the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) head, Shamila Batohi.
- AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has shared his stance on claims that there is a white genocide in South Africa.
Source: Briefly News
