AfriForum Denies Role in US-South Africa Tensions
AfriForum’s chief executive, Kallie Kriel, has denied that his organization is responsible for the worsening relations between the United States and South Africa. He claims that the civil-rights group is being unfairly targeted as a scapegoat amid growing diplomatic tensions.
A report by IOL on Saturday mentioned that US President Donald Trump announced a complete boycott of the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa. This decision, along with comments from other US politicians, has placed AfriForum at the center of the international controversy.
Kriel stated during an interview with Newzroom Afrika that AfriForum never used the term “genocide” to describe the situation in South Africa. He emphasized that this was a false narrative spread by the African National Congress (ANC).
“We never used that terminology,” Kriel said. “The fact is, those media institutions that accused us of spreading the white genocide narrative, we took them to the Press Ombud, and five of those institutions had to apologize to us. Our stance is clear: the ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the farmer’ chant, which calls for the killing of Afrikaners on an ethnic basis, is a genocidal call. But we never said there is genocide. All we are asking from the government and the president is to condemn this call, acknowledge the tortures that accompany these murders, and declare it a priority crime.”
Kriel explained that when AfriForum visited the United States, they were aware of the potential consequences of the concerns raised in Washington about the situation in South Africa. He said that the organization went to the US after certain posts by Trump and made a plea to the administration not to punish the country for the actions of the ANC.
“The fact is, people are falling for this. They don’t want to take responsibility for the consequences of their own negative behavior. They now need a scapegoat,” he added.
He pointed out that long before AfriForum went to the US, a bill in the House of Representatives was already questioning the relationship with South Africa. The issues mentioned included former minister Naledi Pandor visiting Iran and other matters. Kriel clarified that AfriForum did not go to Iran, nor did they sign the Expropriation Act. He also emphasized that the organization was not responsible for refusing to condemn the “kill the Boer” chant.
Kriel argued that the denialism by the ANC has failed and that everyone is now facing the consequences.
Political Fallout Grows Ahead of G20
The political dispute between Pretoria and Washington has taken a diplomatic turn following public comments by US political figures and the decision by Washington to withhold official representation at the G20 summit.
Observers believe that the episode has intensified domestic polarization, with civil-society groups, opposition parties, and government officials exchanging accusations regarding motives and responsibilities.
Earlier on Saturday, IOL reported that South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola publicly challenged claims by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Afrikaners are being racially persecuted. Lamola described the allegations as politically motivated and lacking formal data support.
The exchange occurred on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), following Trump’s announcement that no American officials would attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa. IOL reported that Trump insisted his administration would not send officials to the G20 in Johannesburg.
Trump claimed that “Afrikaners are being slaughtered,” accusing Pretoria of ignoring violence against white farmers. His remarks drew sharp criticism from South African officials and analysts, who dismissed them as inflammatory and inaccurate.