–– Paul Schlehlein
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In 1662, Jan van Riebeeck and the first Dutch settlers arrived at South Africa’s Table Mountain. By the 1830s the descendants of their Dutch forebears, called Afrikaners, had tired of British rule and friction with the Xhosa. With pastoral life becoming harder to achieve and the broad hinterland increasingly tempting, Louis Trichardt and the trekboers began the Great Trek inland in 1837.
Since then, the Afrikaner has waged many battles, played both vanquished and victor, imposed her fair share of prejudiced legislation, borne the loss of power, shifted from oppressor to oppressed, and resettled to Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and every corner of the globe. Yet, South Africa has remained her treasured habitation.
Just under 200 years separated the van Riebeeck landing and the first exodus. Now, another two centuries demarcate today from the first wagon wheels rolling north. The question arises: Is 2025 the year of another massive Afrikaner departure from their beloved South Africa?
US Sanctions
On 7 February, 2025, the United States issues a two-pronged Executive Order, removing financial assistance from South Africa and promoting resettlement of Afrikaners facing “government-sponsored, race-based discrimination.” Never in the three and a half centuries of Afrikaner existence has such an olive branch from a foreign power been extended to her people.
While South Africans have been emigrating for decades, the US has never been a soft target. That has changed. Like John the Baptist widening the way for success, President Trump and the new administration has now removed immigration obstacles, no doubt through the influence of Elon Musk—a South African by birth and the world’s richest man.
Why has the US placed sanctions upon South Africa? President Trump gives the reason in an order entitled “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa”:
“In shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights, the Republic of South Africa…recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation. This Act follows countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.
In addition, South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.”
The South African government must take these words seriously. More is at stake than the $300 million they receive yearly for AIDS relief. They risk going the way of Zimbabwe, experiencing brain drain like never before.
A Proper Response
The SA government could dig in their heels, play the victim, and deny all charges—a method they’ve already commenced. Or, they could reevaluate and mend past wrongs. Should they choose this wiser step, they should consider the following three actions, made publicly and without ambiguity.
First, South Africa should thank America for their generosity instead of complaining that the tap was turned off. Isaiah 1:3 says ingratitude sinks humans even lower than animals. Why are tens of thousands of Americans working hundreds of thousands of hours to send hundreds of millions of dollars to strangers across the globe in order to relieve the suffering of their own making? Instead of belittling such a gift—President Rhamaphosa called the money insignificant—South Africa should express appreciation and even embarrassment that a BRICS nation is receiving funding in the first place.
Second, South Africa should institute laws that make it easy for businesses to flourish—including Afrikaner farms. Presently, mountains of red tape and excessive taxes for the wealthy make businesses want to leave the country. If SA were more free, their wealth would be greater because Musk’s Paypal, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter) would be South African companies. South Africa was dealt a Royal Flush and they folded. It’s like they kicked out the prettiest girl at the dance, only to watch her become prom queen at the school across town.
Indeed, the apartheid government mistreated blacks in substantial ways, but these wrongs were rectified, in part, by handing the post-apartheid government the keys to a brand-new Ferrari—a fully functioning nation with cash and gold in reserve. President Trump wants Afrikaners in the US because he knows they are intelligent, hardworking, and law-abiding citizens. This should cause SA to reverse its present position.
Finally, South Africa should renounce their most foolish domestic and foreign policies, like expropriation without compensation, BEE, and other race-based discrimination, support for the Hamas genocide, and, disregard for decades of horrific white farmer murders. Lest you doubt the latter item, just look at the fortresses Afrikaners must build to protect themselves. Or go to the Boer X account and weep as thousands sing for the death of white farmers—with no fear of reprisal.
Conclusion
America is no gilded saint. She bears the guilt for a thousand immoralities. However, on many points, including the topic of this article, she is right. Like the King of Nineveh before him (Jonah 4), President Ramaphosa would do well to correct the nation’s wrongs before it’s too late.