Ramaphosa Says “South Africans Don’t Run! Only Cowards Flee!” in Reference to White Migrants to the US
SOUTH AFRICA – President Cyril Ramaphosa has strongly criticised the relocation of 59 white South Africans to the United States, calling their decision an act of cowardice.
The Afrikaners arrived in the US on Monday after President Donald Trump granted them refugee status, citing racial discrimination in South Africa.
Ignite Media Zimbabwe reports that Ramaphosa, while addressing an agricultural event in Free State, expressed deep disappointment over their departure.
He argued that those leaving were rejecting ongoing efforts to redress apartheid-era inequalities, labelling their decision as an act of cowardice.
“As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run away from our problems. We must stay here and solve them. When you run away, you are a coward and that’s a real cowardly act,” he declared.
The migration has sparked heated debate, with critics arguing that Ramaphosa is dismissing the emigrants’ concerns.
Trump and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk have previously alleged that white farmers in South Africa face persecution—claims widely disputed by experts and human rights organisations.
Meanwhile, IOL has reported that US officials have accused the South African government of seizing land from white farmers without compensation, further escalating tensions between the two nations.
In January, Ramaphosa signed a controversial land reform bill allowing expropriation under specific conditions, though government officials insist that no land has been seized yet.
Despite the controversy, Ramaphosa remains firm in his stance, emphasising that South Africa belongs to all its people, regardless of race.
“I can bet you that they will be back soon because there is no country like South Africa,” he asserted.
Upon arrival in the US, the Afrikaner migrants were welcomed by Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, who described them as victims of violence and discrimination.
“Welcome to the land of the free,” Landau announced while greeting them at Dulles International Airport.
Ignite Media Zimbabwe has also reported that Ramaphosa addressed concerns about America’s stance on South Africa’s domestic affairs, stating that he had personally informed Trump that claims of white persecution were exaggerated.
“We’re the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay, and we have never driven them out,” he said.
