Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said Afrikaner refugees fleeing South Africa for the U.S. are making a “mistake,” downplaying fears of land seizures and racial violence that have led tens of thousands to seek asylum. His remarks were made at a farming convention and reported by The Sunday Times.
A charter flight of 49 Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. last week, the first of some 70,000 applicants citing persecution and economic discrimination. Steenhuisen, who serves as South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture and recently entered a governing coalition with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), claimed concerns over land expropriation were unfounded.
“There’s no single farm that’s being expropriated without compensation,” Steenhuisen said. He dismissed concerns of racial targeting, saying crime in South Africa affects all citizens equally. Critics, however, point to the Expropriation Act—signed into law earlier this year—which authorizes the state to seize land without compensation. The DA is challenging the law in court, despite Steenhuisen’s public minimization of its impact.
Steenhuisen is the only DA member in a five-person delegation accompanying President Cyril Ramaphosa to the U.S. this week. The trip includes meetings with President Donald Trump and aims to address what Steenhuisen called “myths and disinformation” about South Africa’s domestic situation.
His alignment with the ANC on key issues has drawn backlash from conservatives and rural communities, who accuse him of abandoning core DA principles. Although the DA recently blocked a proposed 2% VAT increase, many argue the party is not doing enough to push back against ANC policies, including controversial land reforms.
Steenhuisen, a vocal critic of Trump in the past, framed the upcoming diplomatic visit as a chance to correct perceptions—not an opportunity for South Africa to change course.
Steenhuisen’s comments have sparked outrage among Afrikaner advocacy groups and civil rights organizations, who argue his statements ignore the lived realities of rural farmers facing escalating violence and economic marginalization.
Critics say his dismissal of refugee concerns aligns too closely with ANC talking points and fails to represent the very communities the Democratic Alliance claims to defend. With South Africa’s farm murder rate remaining disproportionately high and the Expropriation Act fueling land ownership fears, many see the refugee exodus not as paranoia, but as a desperate bid for safety and stability.
