"Cowards:" South Africa’s President slams Afrikaners seeking refuge in US

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly criticized a group of 59 white South Africans who recently relocated to the US under refugee status, calling them "cowards" for leaving the country and suggesting they would eventually return.

Speaking at an agricultural exhibition in South Africa’s Free State province, Ramaphosa responded to the group's resettlement, saying, “As South Africans, we are resilient. We don't run away from our problems. We must stay here and solve our problems. When you run away you are a coward, and that's a real cowardly act.”

Read more: White South Africans granted US refugee status under controversial Trump policy

The group, composed primarily of Afrikaners—descendants of Dutch settlers—arrived in the US on Monday. Their arrival follows a decision by US President Donald Trump to grant them refugee status, citing claims of racial discrimination and threats of violence.

Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau welcomed them at Dulles Airport near Washington, DC, stating, “Welcome to the land of the free.” Some of the new arrivals carried young children and waved American flags, greeted by walls adorned with red, white, and blue balloons.

US officials claim the group had been "living under a shadow of violence and terror" in South Africa. Trump, supported by South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk, has repeatedly alleged that white farmers in South Africa are being targeted in what he once called a "genocide"—a narrative that has been widely debunked by international observers.

Ramaphosa pushed back on those claims earlier that day during an address at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, revealing he had personally told Trump in a phone call that the US characterization of the situation is “not true.”

"We're the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay and we have never driven them out of our country," he said, dismissing accusations of persecution and emphasizing that the departing group "don't fit the bill" for refugees.

Under US policy, a person may qualify for refugee status if they are a racial minority in their home country and can cite a credible fear of persecution. The US embassy in South Africa confirmed that this criteria was used in evaluating the Afrikaners' applications.

Ramaphosa argued that the decision to leave South Africa was more ideological than humanitarian, saying those who emigrated were uncomfortable with ongoing efforts to undo apartheid-era inequalities. “If you look at all national groups in our country, black and white, they've stayed in this country because it's our country and we must not run away from our problems,” he said. “I can bet you that they will be back soon because there is no country like South Africa.”

His remarks ignited backlash online, with critics accusing the president of dismissing the grievances of white South Africans who feel marginalized.

The controversy comes amid growing international scrutiny over South Africa’s land reform policies. In January, Ramaphosa signed a contentious law permitting land expropriation without compensation in certain circumstances, framing it as a necessary move to address racial disparities in land ownership. Despite the law’s passage, no land has yet been seized under its provisions.

Meanwhile, tensions between the US and South Africa appear to be escalating. Trump has reportedly threatened to skip the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless what he called “the situation” is addressed. Ramaphosa said a meeting with Trump is being arranged to discuss the matter directly.