Ramaphosa Labels White South Africans Emigrating to US as Cowards

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has strongly criticized a group of 59 white South Africans, primarily Afrikaners, who recently emigrated to the United States after being granted refugee status by President Donald Trump. Ramaphosa labeled their departure as an act of cowardice, asserting that they were fleeing the country's efforts to address historical inequalities from the apartheid era. “When you run away you are a coward, and that's a real cowardly act,” Ramaphosa said during an agricultural event in the Free State province, adding that he believed the group would eventually return because “there is no country like South Africa.”

The group’s relocation has been widely publicized, especially as U.S. officials welcomed them with flags and balloons at Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau praised their arrival, stating they had lived under a “shadow of violence and terror” in South Africa. Trump and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk have both cited what they refer to as a "genocide" of white farmers in South Africa—a claim that has been repeatedly discredited by various watchdogs and independent organizations.

Ramaphosa rebutted these claims, insisting that the group does not meet the criteria for refugee status. He emphasized South Africa’s resilience and stated that all racial groups—black and white—have remained in the country despite challenges. He accused those leaving of being unwilling to participate in national reforms aimed at redressing land and economic disparities resulting from apartheid.

The issue comes amid ongoing international scrutiny of South Africa’s land reform policies. In January, Ramaphosa signed a contentious law that allows the government to expropriate land without compensation if it is considered equitable and in the public interest. While critics view the law as a threat to property rights, the South African government insists that no land has been seized under the legislation thus far. Still, the slow progress in land redistribution has led to widespread frustration, as most fertile farmland remains in white hands more than three decades after the end of white minority rule.

The emigration of the Afrikaner group has ignited a broader debate. Social media reactions to Ramaphosa’s “coward” remarks have been mixed, with some users accusing him of insulting white South Africans who feel marginalized. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have escalated tensions by alleging human rights violations and criticizing South Africa’s policies. Trump has even threatened to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless the matter is resolved.

Ramaphosa, speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Ivory Coast, said he had discussed the issue directly with Trump in a recent phone call, denying that white South Africans are being persecuted. He asserted that South Africa is unique in its post-colonial trajectory, stating, “We’re the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay and we have never driven them out.”

The South African president also announced that he plans to meet Trump soon to further address the dispute, as diplomatic tensions continue to mount between the two nations.