AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel says his organisation is being unfairly blamed for the diplomatic fallout between South Africa and the United States.
Kriel dismissed claims that AfriForum is responsible for the worsening relations between Washington and Pretoria, arguing that the civil-rights group is being used as a convenient scapegoat. This follows reports by IOL that US President Donald Trump has announced a full boycott of the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, triggering a wave of political tension.
Kriel: AfriForum never used the term “white genocide”
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Kriel insisted AfriForum has never described conditions in South Africa as a “genocide” targeting Afrikaners.
“That is another lie spread by the ANC,” he said, noting that several media outlets that accused AfriForum of promoting a white-genocide narrative had already apologised after rulings by the Press Ombud.
He stressed:
“Our stance is clear. The ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’ chant is a genocidal call, but we have never said a genocide is occurring. We simply want government and the president to condemn the chant, acknowledge the torture involved in some farm attacks, and declare these crimes a national priority.”
Kriel said AfriForum’s previous visits to the US were aimed at explaining the situation, not inflaming diplomatic tensions.
“We warned Washington about issues repeatedly raised there. After Trump’s post, we went to the US to urge them not to punish South Africa for the ANC’s irresponsible behaviour. Now they need someone to blame.”
He argued that long-standing concerns in the US Congress, such as former minister Naledi Pandor’s visit to Iran, the Expropriation Act, and government silence on the controversial chant—predated AfriForum’s lobbying.
“We didn’t sign the Expropriation Act. We didn’t visit Iran. And we’re not the ones refusing to condemn ‘Kill the Boer’. The ANC’s denialism has failed, and everyone is feeling the consequences.”
Diplomatic tensions escalate
The dispute has deepened ahead of the G20 Summit, with Washington deciding not to send official representatives and several US political figures publicly criticising Pretoria. The episode has intensified domestic divisions, as government officials, civil-society groups and opposition parties trade accusations.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claims that Afrikaners are being racially persecuted, calling the allegations politically driven and unsupported by official data.
The exchange followed Trump’s announcement that no American officials would attend the G20 meeting in Johannesburg. Trump claimed that “Afrikaners are being slaughtered” and accused the South African government of ignoring violence against white farmers, comments South African officials and analysts have dismissed as inflammatory and inaccurate.
