Pretoria briefly detained U.S. government employees involved in efforts to resettle white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, in the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The incident, which took place recently, has heightened tensions between Washington and Pretoria. The American officials were reportedly in South Africa as part of an initiative spearheaded by the Trump administration.
The circumstances surrounding the detention remain unclear, but sources indicate that South African immigration officials visited a location where U.S. personnel were conducting interviews with potential Afrikaner refugees. During the visit, the South African officials questioned the U.S. employees and briefly detained Kenyan nationals working with the U.S. State Department, before releasing all those held.
An Afrikaner organization, which is collaborating with the United States to facilitate the resettlement process, issued a statement on X, claiming that the U.S. immigration office location had been raided by South African officials.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told CNN that the U.S. government is seeking immediate clarification from South Africa regarding the incident. He stated that Washington expects full cooperation and accountability.
“The Trump administration will always defend the interests of the United States, its employees, and the rule of law,” Pigott said, adding that “interference in our refugee operations is unacceptable.”
President Trump has previously justified his administration’s decision to resettle white South Africans in the U.S., citing unsubstantiated claims of a “genocide” occurring in South Africa, alleging that “white farmers are being brutally murdered and their land seized.” These claims have been vehemently denied by South African authorities.
DZWatch has reached out to South African officials for comment but has yet to receive a response.
