United States Condemns South Africa Over Detention Claims As Diplomatic Tensions Escalate

]The United States condemned South Africa for detaining its officials processing applications for Afrikaners seeking refuge

• South Africa denied any involvement in harassment, saying that it was a lawful operation to enforce immigration laws
• The US warned that failure by South Africa to hold those responsible accountable would result in severe consequences

Byron Pillay, a journalist at Briefly News, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States of America has warned South Africa that there could be severe consequences if no one is held responsible for a raid at a facility processing applications of Afrikaners.

The facility, located in Johannesburg, was raided on 16 December 2025 by officials from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The raid has sparked further tensions between South Africa and the US, with the Donald Trump administration condemning it.

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AfriForum has also condemned the raid, alleging that some Afrikaners who were present were intimidated by DHA officials. The centre processes refugee applications for Afrikaners seeking to flee the country due to fears of persecution.

US warns of severe consequences

The Donald Trump administration has since condemned the raid, accusing South Africa of detaining its officials who were ‘performing their duties to provide humanitarian support to Afrikaners’.

The US also stated that the public release of US officials’ passport information was an unacceptable form of harassment.

“This can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate US government personnel in South Africa on official business. The US will not tolerate such behaviour toward its government’s officials, or toward any of its citizens, who are legally and peacefully operating abroad,” a statement from the US government read.

It also warned that the failure by South Africa to hold those responsible accountable would result in ‘severe consequences’.

How did South Africa respond?

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber denied allegations made by the US, insisting that his department embarked on an operation to enforce immigration laws. This was conducted after officials received reports that the US was employing several foreign nationals at the facility. The individuals were working at the facility, but were in the country on tourist visas.

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Schreiber also noted that no US officials were arrested in the process, and no members of the public were harassed.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) also released a statement about the raid, saying that it was conducted in strict accordance with South African immigration law. It is also called the US’s allegations are unsubstantiated.

7 Kenyan nationals were arrested at a US facility

Briefly News reported that the DHA arrested seven Kenyan nationals for working in South Africa without legal authorisation.

Intelligence reports indicated that the Kenyan nationals had recently entered the country on tourist visas and had taken up employment.

The seven Kenyan nationals were working at a facility in Johannesburg, processing applications for Afrikaner refugees to the USA.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News