The leaders of South African lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity have found themselves at the centre of controversy following their recent discussions with officials from former United States President Donald Trump’s administration. Their visit, which aimed to garner international support for their cause, has ignited widespread backlash within South Africa.
During their engagement in Washington, D.C., the representatives from AfriForum and Solidarity reportedly urged American officials to take punitive measures against leaders of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). They also advocated for the interests of Afrikaners in South Africa, a move that has further fuelled debates around race, land ownership, and political influence in the country.
Kallie Kriel, AfriForum’s chief executive officer, defended their decision to meet with White House officials, attributing it to what he described as the South African government’s persistent failure to address their concerns. He stated that officials in Washington were well-informed about South African affairs and suggested that they were challenging the prevailing governmental narrative regarding farm murders.
“White House personnel were well-versed in South African affairs,”
Kriel asserted, reinforcing AfriForum’s belief that foreign governments are taking a closer look at the situation in South Africa.
The lobby group has also been vocal in its opposition to the Expropriation Act, which it claims erodes private property rights. Their stance has been that the South African government’s land reform policies unfairly target white landowners and threaten economic stability.
The response from South Africans has been swift and scathing. Many have accused AfriForum of acting against national interests by appealing to a foreign government for intervention. Critics argue that seeking external political pressure on domestic affairs is tantamount to treason.
Afriforum & Solidarity are on a treasonous tour in the USA!
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 ‘𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬’ 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧!
Firstly though, let me start with an admission in their own document at paragraph 3.2… pic.twitter.com/TxBY7BcjNZ
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) February 26, 2025
“𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 & 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝟕𝟓% 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴”
Social media has been flooded with condemnation, with public figures and ordinary citizens expressing outrage. Ryan Cummings, a security and political analyst, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his disapproval, stating:
“For a civil organisation that claims to fight against ‘reverse apartheid’, it’s quite ironic that AfriForum is essentially lobbying for the creation of White Bantustans in a democratic South Africa.”
Political figures have also weighed in. Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been particularly vocal, calling for legal consequences upon the AfriForum delegation’s return to South Africa. Carl Niehaus, a well-known EFF figure, called for their immediate arrest, arguing that their actions endangered national sovereignty.
“All of them must immediately be arrested for treason! This has really gone far too far,”
Niehaus demanded.
Meanwhile, Vuyo Zungula of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) criticised the South African government’s perceived inaction, asserting that failure to address AfriForum’s engagement with the Trump administration amounts to complicity.
