Trump granting asylum to Afrikaners is 'race-based policy', South African FM claims

What the report says

South Africa’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, criticized the Trump administration’s plan to admit up to 17,500 more White South Africans, calling it a “race-based policy” in an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. He also rejected claims of a “so-called genocide” against Afrikaners, describing that allegation as false. The comments were reported by France24 Africa in a television interview segment aired on Sept. 28, 2026.

Lamola said Pretoria would not try to block the US resettlement programme, even as he objected to its framing. His remarks came amid broader tensions between Washington and Pretoria over several foreign policy issues.

According to the interview report, Lamola also said South Africa would continue pursuing its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the war in Gaza, despite pressure from the Trump administration to withdraw it. He further dismissed Nigeria’s criticism of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa, saying the unrest was not state-sponsored but involved vigilante groups.

The dispute over Afrikaner asylum is significant because it touches on race, migration and diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it adds to wider debate over how governments describe violence and discrimination in South Africa and abroad.