AfriForum, Solidarity meet with top Trump officials [VIDEO]

Afrikaner lobby groups Solidarity and AfriForum have handed over the “Washington Memorandum”, asking the United States to provide humanitarian assistance for Afrikaner development.

The organisations under the Solidarity Movement met with senior representatives of the Donald Trump administration at the White House on Tuesday.

‘Washington Memorandum’

Solidarity and AfriForum said they will also meet with other “prominent decision makers and opinion makers in the coming days”.

“AfriForum and the rest of the Solidarity Movement’s delegation is in the US to thank the Trump administration for the recognition given to Afrikaners as a people/cultural community and the discrimination to which Afrikaners are subjected, and to show appreciation for the Trump administration’s willingness to offer humanitarian assistance to Afrikaners.

“We propose that Afrikaners’ aspiration for a free, safe, prosperous life and cultural autonomy at the southern tip of Africa be recognised,” the memo read.

While Trump has halted funding to South Africa by signing an executive order against the country, alleging human rights issues in response to the government’s land policy, the Solidarity Movement wants the US to provide aid to a development fund to assist with community infrastructure protecting Afrikaners.

Watch AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel speaking about their visit to the US

'n Afvaardiging bestaande uit @afriforum , die Solidariteit Beweging en @solidariteit het vandag in die Withuis in Washington met senior verteenwoordigers van die Trump-administrasie vergader en ‘n memorandum genaamd die Washington-memorandum aan hulle oorhandig.

Jy kan ook die… pic.twitter.com/BM6r8Yfmns

— Kallie Kriel (@kalliekriel) February 25, 2025

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Pressure on SA

Trump’s advisor Elon Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa, has also criticised SA’s government and claimed it has been anti-white for years, although some have questioned his motivations.

The groups urged Trump to continue applying pressure on the government.

“This includes safety structures, social structures, job structures, training structures and infrastructure to settle Afrikaners in a concentrated manner,” the memo read.

It added: “That pressure be put on South Africa to declare farm murders a priority crime and to take decisive action against those calling for violence against Afrikaners.

“Pressure also be put on the South African government to revise the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, the Expropriation Act and legislation that discriminates on the basis of race.

‘No white genocide’

Last week, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel, in a discussion with Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie, discussed whether there was white genocide in South Africa.

“So you are saying there is no white genocide in South Africa?” McKenzie asked.

“No, we’ve never said that, but there is a serious problem,” Kriel replied.

McKenzie pushed Kriel for clarity. “Of course, there is a problem; people being killed on their farms is a problem, but you’re saying there’s no white genocide?” McKenzie asked Kriel again.

“Genocide is what we saw in Rwanda,” Kriel said.

Changing foreign policy

The meeting between McKenzie and Kriel came after about 1 500 white South Africans, including a handful who had slept on the pavement, handed over a memorandum to the American Embassy in Pretoria to thank Trump for his support.

The Afrikaner lobby groups also called on Trump to pressure the SA government to change its current foreign policies, which they termed contradictory to international and human rights law, adding that they had concerns about the country’s positions regarding Israel, China, Iran, Russia and Taiwan.

“In light of the above, we recommend that the pressure on South Africans be sustained, but the pressure be focused on ANC leaders who are responsible for these policies.”

While the groups welcomed Trump’s political pressure on the government, they rejected the withdrawal of aid and the classification of Afrikaners as refugees.

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Expropriation Act

AfriForum and Solidarity recommended that Trump force the ANC government to amend the Expropriation Act.

“Put pressure on the government to pass an amendment act removing the zero compensation clause, 12(3) as well as clause 19(8) that allows expropriation to take place before an agreement has been reached or a court has pronounced on the compensation amount, and request an undertaking from the government that the constitution will not be amended to allow for expropriation without compensation on a large scale,” the memo read.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola welcomed Trump’s decision to investigate the Expropriation Act.

‘Misinformation

“We trust that President Trump’s advisors will leverage this investigative period to deepen their understanding of South Africa’s policies as a constitutional democracy.

“Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments,” said Lamola.

Lamola said that SA “is a constitutional democracy, and the expropriation law referenced is not an exception”.

“Many parts of the world have expropriation laws that are used in the public interest and for public purposes.”

Lamola called the order a “campaign of misinformation and propaganda”.

AfriForum

Over the last few years, AfriForum has been lobbying for US support in dealing with farm murders and other government policies it claims have been marginalising those it represents.

In one of the tours in 2019, AfriForum said its meetings with US representatives had been successful.

“It is our aim to get the American government, politicians and influential voices in the media to take a public stand about the situation in South Africa and to place diplomatic pressure on the SA government to protect property rights and act consistently against violent crime. The tour has been a huge success to date,” it said at the time.

G20 Summit

The organisations also requested that Trump pressure the SA government to indicate how racial legislation would be phased out before the G20 Summit, which will be held in Johannesburg in November 2025.

The South African government has dismissed Trump’s executive order as a distortion of facts.

While the US claims South Africa has taken a position against America and its allies, several countries have pledged their support for the country after Trump signed the executive order cutting aid to it.

France, Germany, Italy, the European Union, and the other member states expressed their shared “common attachment” to multilateralism, the rule of law, non-racialism, and non-sexism in South Africa.

The countries’ commitment significantly boosts SA as it prepares to host the G20 talks for foreign ministers in November.

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