‘Told you so’ – Critics on news of ‘struggling’ Afrikaner refugees

Reports that some Afrikaner refugees are living in dire conditions in the US have been met with little surprise by several politicians and media personalities

According to a US independent news outlet, several South Africans have been neglected by agencies commissioned to assist them in their adoptive countries.

To date, close to 2000 predominantly white South Africans have taken up US President Donald Trump’s offer of refugee resettlement.

AFRIKANER REFUGEES ‘STRUGGLING’: WHAT SA CRITICS SAY

This week, a US publication, The Free Press, shared how their investigation found that some Afrikaner refugees were living in poor conditions.

An investigative journalist spoke to ten South Africans, who stated that they had been placed in mouldy, dirty motels and apartments infested with cockroaches. They stated their accommodation were in “high-crime” areas. 

Many claimed to have little to no food, eating just one meal a day to survive. Others lived in freezing temperatures, without warm coats, and had to travel long distances in the snow to their nearest grocery store. Some complained about the high cost of living, adding that much of their earnings went towards rent.

The reports quickly spread like wildfire on social media, with many public profiles weighing in.

Action SA’s Atholl Trollip tweeted: “These ‘refugees’ should name and shame the people back home that sold them this lemon of an idea to leave their country of birth and go to the USA as refugees”.

Fellow party member Ivyn Sambo added: “So they left South Africa to go to America to get free handouts and they are angry that America does not want to give them free handouts?”.

Former DA MP Phumzille van Damme posted: “In today’s utterly predictable, everyone-told-you-so news. You were duped, you have been had, led up the garden path, swindled, bamboozled, hoodwinked, duped. Please, compatriots. You are the captain of your ship. Stop believing every ‘saviour’ with a shiny shekel promising you Nirvana. No one is coming to save you. I’ll use tough love and say it: grow up. But, all the best. Rough life, tough world this is. Wisen up”.

Kaya FM’s Sizwe Dlomo tweeted: “LOL, FAFO [F**k around, find out]”, while SABC’s Sophie Mokoena tweeted: “It looks like it’s not looking good in the United States of America.

Foreign affairs journalist Redi Tlhabi shared: “I suppose for REAL refugees who are fleeing war, famine, and persecution, the US refugee programme is adequate.  Mouldy hotels, a little stipend, are much better than conditions in war-torn countries. 

“But for Afrikaners leaving their perfectly normal lives and just wanting a quick ticket to the US, the programme will always disappoint”.

Fellow reporter Mzilikazi wa Afrika added: “Bad things are happening to ‘South African’ Afrikaners in America. The grass is greener where you watered it and not where you pissed on it.

‘YOU CAN’T HIDE THE TRUTH’

According to US intel analyst Chris Wyatts – who has a special interest in the plight of South African refugees – those mentioned in the report were placed in Rochester, a city in New York.

Wyatts claimed that maladministration – including misappropriation of funds by several refugee assistance agencies – was the reason behind the poor living conditions and lack of assistance. He claimed that this had affected around “3%” of cases.

He said: “You can’t hide the truth. This is, in fact, a real situation…This is happening in a number of cases.”

He added, “The story here is not the mistreatment of South African refugees. It’s the mistreatment by companies…who are making a fortune from the taxpayer, some of whom are failing to deliver services.”