South Africa's new US envoy rejects Trump's white genocide claim

September 26, 2026 at 04:20 AM2 min

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South Africa's new ambassador to Washington, Roelf Meyer, told the BBC that the notion of a white genocide in South Africa does not exist. Meyer, a former apartheid-era negotiator and Afrikaner, said facts about violence in the country had been misrepresented. His comments come as the Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 additional Afrikaner refugees over the next 12 months.

Key Facts

Roelf Meyer, South Africa's ambassador to the US, told the BBC that the notion of a white genocide in South Africa does not exist.
The Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next 12 months, according to a notice sent to Congress.
Nearly 13,000 refugees were admitted to the United States under the Afrikaner refugee pathway, all but three of them South African.
Meyer was appointed ambassador to the US in April after diplomatic relations between the two countries plummeted.

Ambassador's Rejection

Roelf Meyer, a born Afrikaner and former chief mediator to end apartheid, dismissed President Trump's claim of a white genocide in South Africa. Meyer said the facts about violence in South Africa had been misrepresented and that he never got a clear answer about where this 'misdirection of information' was coming from. He was appointed ambassador to the US in April, after diplomatic relations between the US and South Africa plummeted.

US Refugee Pathway

Last year, Trump accused South Africa of white genocide in a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House and launched a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners. Since last year, nearly 13,000 refugees were admitted to the United States and all but three were South African. The Trump administration is planning to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next 12 months, according to a notice sent to Congress on Tuesday. A White House spokeswoman said in a statement that 'President Trump has provided a lifeline for Afrikaners, who are being raped, maimed, killed and driven off their property across South Africa.'

Personal Accounts

Lielie, who moved with her family to Texas from South Africa under the refugee pathway, said she felt 'fear the whole time' on her stepfather's farm despite walls, an electric fence, and eight bull terriers. She said that on three occasions she saw people entering her property, and that friends of her husband living nearby were 'brutally attacked'. Since moving to the US, Lielie said her life had changed, she felt safer walking around, and 'my kids can actually play outside'. SJ Du Venage, who lives on South Africa's west coast, has been trying to move to the US under the new scheme.