Hundreds of white South Africans gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria on Saturday, voicing support for former President Donald Trump’s claims that they are victims of racism.
Protesters carried signs reading “Thank God for President Trump” while denouncing what they described as discriminatory policies implemented by South Africa’s Black-led government.
The demonstration followed Trump’s recent executive order, which cut U.S. aid to South Africa over a contentious land reform law that he said unfairly targets Afrikaners.
Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch colonial settlers, have long opposed the government’s land redistribution plans, which they argue threaten their property rights and economic stability.
Trump’s order referred to Afrikaner landowners as “racially disfavored” and accused the South African government of taking land without compensation, a claim the government strongly denies.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in Parliament, asserting that the land reform law does not permit forced removals or racial targeting.
Ramaphosa emphasized that the policy seeks to address historical injustices, as Black South Africans were dispossessed of their land under colonialism and apartheid.
“The people of this country know the pain of forced removals,” Ramaphosa declared, vowing that such injustices would never happen again.
The U.S. decision to sanction South Africa has reignited debates about race, land ownership, and economic inequality in a country still grappling with the legacy of apartheid.
Protesters also criticized affirmative action policies that have been in place since 1994, which they claim have marginalized white South Africans in employment and business opportunities.
Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and vocal Trump supporter, has also accused the government of being anti-white after his company Starlink failed to secure a license due to affirmative action rules.
While racial tensions persist, South Africa’s post-apartheid government includes a coalition of diverse political parties striving to navigate the nation’s complex history.