Afrikaner refugees refused to be governed by black people, says Heller

Kim Heller, author of No White Lies and a well-known social justice activist, has weighed in on the recent departure of 49 South African Afrikaner refugees to the United States, saying that the group refused to be led by a black government. 

The group, citing fears of targeted violence and claims of victimisation, has accepted an offer from the US to resettle as part of the Trump administration, which has offered refuge to white South Africans seeking refuge abroad.

President Donald Trump has accused the government of seizing land from White Afrikaners and offered to resettle them as refugees in the US.

However, the government has not seized any land since the end of apartheid in 1994. South African crime statistics show that the highest number of people being murdered in the country are young Black men.

Critics argue that the move underscores a refusal to accept the realities of a democratic South Africa, where black-led government structures have replaced apartheid-era policies. 

In a recent series of X posts, Heller condemned the Afrikaner refugees, asserting that their departure reflects a stubborn adherence to racial superiority and a refusal to reconcile with South Africa’s new political landscape.

“Nelson Mandela extended a hand of reconciliation to white South Africans after the atrocities of apartheid,” she said. “Yet, these individuals have failed the humanity test—they remain largely unrepentant and racist.”

Heller went further, describing the refugees’ departure as a manifestation of racial privilege. 

“To the Afrikaners seeking refuge in America—good riddance and shame on you,” she declared. 

“Afrikaners and Zionists share a similar sense of superiority and victimhood. These are white racists who refuse to be governed by a black government or relinquish their unearned apartheid privileges.”

Heller emphasised that white South Africans are not persecuted but remain privileged within the country’s democracy. 

“I am a white South African who has called for repentance for apartheid and colonial sins,” she said. “But very few white South Africans are willing to confront their racist past or make reparations. Instead, many cling to their sense of victimhood and entitlement.”

Independent Political analyst Joe Mhlanga said that there have always been a few prominent leaders who believe in the apartheid system that ensured white minorities flourish at the expense of the black majority.

"The flight of Afrikaners to the United States is symptomatic of deeper issues within our society. It highlights how some still see their identity as inherently superior and view the democratic changes as a loss rather than an opportunity for reconciliation.

“While every individual has the right to seek safety and a better life, it’s crucial that we confront the underlying racial tensions that continue to divide us. South Africa’s future depends on genuine reconciliation, not on retreat or expatriation."

thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za

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