Young Afrikaners weigh their options following Trump’s offer

Donald Trump’s offer to repatriate Afrikaners to the US has sparked a heated debate among young South Africans.

Some young Afrikaners, who are struggling to find work and claim that they are being discriminated against, say they are seriously considering the offer.

Tensions over land and education policy continue to be a sensitive topic for many South Africans, with frictions worsened following Trump’s decision to offer refugee status to Afrikaners. 

Trump’s executive order, signed on Friday, has also called for the halting of US aid to South Africa over alleged discriminatory land policies.

At the heart of this issue is the claim by Trump, made without evidence, that a certain class of South Africans is being mistreated by the government.  This claim has been met with skepticism by many, who view Trump’s actions as a misguided attempt to interfere in South Africa’s internal politics.

For 26-year-old, Michael Germerstysen, who has been struggling to find work for five years, Trump’s offer is a glimmer of hope.

“If you look at the law and how they oppress us as Afrikaners, and Trump’s standing up for us. Finally, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and personally, I would take the offer,” Germerstysen said.

Another young Afrikaner, who chose to remain anonymous, criticised the government’s alleged anti-Afrikaner policies. 

Despite having built a good life for himself in South Africa, he expressed a willingness to relocate to the US.

“If Cyril can look past his agendas and look for the betterment of the country, then things would go well. But if the situation in South Africa continues to get worse, I will definitely consider going.”

The controversy surrounding Trump’s decision to offer refugee status to Afrikaners continues to escalate, with many young South Africans slamming the move as divisive and exclusionary. 

Some coloured South Africans of Afrikaner descent have expressed concerns that the US President’s offer may not include them, despite their Afrikaner heritage.

They argue that Trump’s order has failed to acknowledge the country’s painful and complex cultural history.

“What Trump is doing is wrong. They’re basically being sent to work, and now Trump wants to hold them there in poverty. They have a choice to go or stay, but I just feel it’s not right,” said 21-year-old Charlotte Davids.

Meanwhile, some South Africans are calling for calm and steady heads. 

Afrikaners, like 83-year-old Kenyan-born Douglas Oudendaal, are adamant they will not leave South Africa.

“We’ve been kicked out of one country, and I see what goes on. I’m not going anywhere now again,” Oudendaal said.

Others, like flower shop owner, Maria Khoza, are cautioning young people to think carefully about the decision to move to the US. 

She emphasised that as refugees, Afrikaners would have fewer privileges in America, and that relocation may not be the best option.

“Most of them were born here and have a lot of options. South Africa is a free country. It’s going to be very hard for them there. I don’t think Trump will recognise them as citizens,” Khoza added.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing to send an envoy to Washington as Pretoria attempts to mend its relationship with the US.