Cape Town – The Orania Movement has expressed appreciation for US President Donald Trump’s support for Afrikaners following his offer to allow South African citizens to seek refuge in the United States.
Trump recently cut funding to South Africa over its land expropriation policy and accused the government of targeting white farmers, despite the law stating that only barren, unused land is subject to expropriation.
Orania Movement leader Joost Strydom said, during an interview with Newzroom Afrika, that Afrikaners do not seek handouts but rather recognition, both locally and internationally.
He said that Afrikaners belong in Africa and have no intention of relocating to another continent.
“We are not necessarily interested in tax dollars, handouts and help. What we want, we already got to an extent. We want recognition. We want recognition from abroad, we want recognition locally and we want recognition from our peers. That is to say, firstly those people are people upon themselves and they have the right to make certain decisions for themselves. That is what we want.
[WATCH] “We cannot go back to Europe. We do not belong in Europe, we belong in Africa,” head of the Orania Movement Joost Strydom says. ‘Afrikaners’ want to be recognised as people who are only at home in Africa and are not interested in dollars and handouts from President Donald… pic.twitter.com/unt4MGgGkW
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 9, 2025
“We don’t want people’s money, we don’t want people’s handouts. We as Orania want larger, greater recognition. And I think that is not too much to ask. I think that is very reasonable.”
Strydom added: “What Orania is saying is that they come from a long line of Afrikaners, people who are only at home in Africa. We cannot go back to Europe. We cannot belong in Europe. We belong in Africa so if people recognise us as part of theirs, as part of the continent, as part of this country in terms of our history – a long history, more than 400 years.
“We want to build a future for ourselves here, and that is the crux of the matter.”
Last week, Trump has escalated tensions with South Africa, accusing its government of human rights violations and undermining US foreign policy.
He cited Pretoria’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its strengthened ties with Iran as key concerns.
His administration has threatened further actions, including cutting all US aid to South Africa.
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