On May 21, 2025, a curious scene unfolded at Washington Dulles International Airport as a group of white descendants of Dutch settlers, known as Afrikaners, arrived in the United States. This marked a controversial chapter in the Trump administration’s new initiative aimed at assisting “Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination.” Officials claimed these individuals were fleeing what they termed “white genocide,” a narrative that quickly sparked a wave of ridicule and disbelief back home in South Africa.
South Africans took to social media to mock the situation, coining the term “Great Tsek.” This clever play on words referenced both the Great Trek—a historic migration of Dutch settlers in the mid-1800s—and the Afrikaans slang term “tsek,” which crudely translates to “fuck off.” The juxtaposition of historical migration and contemporary absurdity encapsulated the mixed emotions of shock, concern, and humor that many South Africans felt.
The roots of this peculiar event trace back to May 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term. Kallie Kriel, CEO of the Afrikaner rights group AfriForum, and his deputy Ernst Roets embarked on a lobbying mission to the United States. Their goal was to convince U.S. officials that Afrikaner farmers were being racially targeted in South Africa, particularly in light of proposed land expropriation laws. Their efforts culminated in meetings with influential figures, including then-national security adviser John Bolton and staffers in Senator Ted Cruz’s office. A pivotal moment came when Roets appeared on Fox News, where he discussed his book “Kill the Boer,” arguing that the South African government had neglected the safety of white farmers.
This media exposure caught Trump’s attention, leading him to tweet about the “large scale killing of farmers” in South Africa, prompting a flurry of international discourse. Kriel’s lobbying trip had been a strategic success, but it also stirred tensions within South Africa, where the African National Congress (ANC) sought to maintain its image as a bastion of peace and racial harmony since its ascent to power in 1994.
Historically, Afrikaners have viewed themselves as a distinct group within South Africa, often characterized by a sense of insularity and distrust toward global political institutions. The end of apartheid, which was achieved through negotiations between the Afrikaner government and the ANC, promised Afrikaners the right to retain their land and assets in exchange for integration into a new, democratic society. However, as the political landscape evolved, so too did the Afrikaners’ narrative of victimhood, which has been perpetuated by organizations like AfriForum and the trade union Solidarity.
The emergence of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by the charismatic Julius Malema, has further complicated this narrative. The EFF’s rhetoric, including the controversial song “Dubul’ ibhunu,” which translates to “kill the Boer,” has been a flashpoint in the ongoing discourse about race and power in South Africa. AfriForum’s legal battles against the EFF over the song highlight the contentious nature of racial identity and historical grievances in the country.
In the wake of Trump’s return to the political spotlight, he issued an executive order titled “Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa.” This order, which threatened sanctions against South Africa, was met with outrage from South Africans across the political spectrum. Many accused Kriel and Roets of betraying their country by seeking foreign intervention based on exaggerated claims of white genocide. Even the agricultural group AgriSA, which traditionally represents Afrikaner interests, dismissed these claims as baseless.
As public anger simmered, Kriel attempted to distance AfriForum from Trump’s rhetoric, even rejecting an offer of asylum from the U.S. president. His insistence on remaining a committed South African was met with skepticism, as many viewed the Afrikaners’ departure as an act of cowardice. President Cyril Ramaphosa, known for his diplomatic demeanor, expressed frustration, stating, “As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run away from our problems.”
In the months that followed, South Africans began to process the absurdity of the situation with humor rather than anger. Trump’s comments about “terrible things happening in South Africa” became fodder for parody, with young South Africans sharing videos that humorously contradicted the narrative of victimhood. These clips showcased white South Africans enjoying life alongside their Black compatriots, highlighting the complexities of racial dynamics in contemporary South Africa.
The arrival of the Afrikaners in Washington D.C. starkly contrasted with the experiences of affluent white South Africans, such as tech moguls Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who have thrived in the post-apartheid landscape. The new arrivals represented a segment of the Afrikaner population that has struggled to adapt to the changing socio-economic realities of South Africa, where inherited privilege no longer
