South Africa’s newly appointed ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has rejected claims that white Afrikaners are facing genocide in South Africa, saying the allegations do not reflect the reality of the country.
Meyer, who is himself an Afrikaner, told the BBC that he was surprised when US President Donald Trump first claimed that white South Africans were being subjected to genocide.
He said the information presented about violence against Afrikaners had been misrepresented and questioned the origins of what he described as misleading information.
Meyer is a former National Party politician who played a major role in negotiations that helped bring apartheid and white-minority rule to an end in the 1990s. He was appointed South Africa’s ambassador to Washington in April 2026 as relations between the two countries faced significant tensions.
The dispute intensified after Trump accused South Africa of persecuting white farmers and established a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners. Some Afrikaners who have relocated to the United States have cited concerns about crime and security in South Africa.
However, Meyer rejects the characterization of these security concerns as evidence of genocide or systematic persecution of white South Africans. He argues that violent crime affects South Africans across racial groups.
The debate has also become a source of tension between Washington and Pretoria. The Trump administration has criticized South Africa over issues including race, land ownership and employment policies, while South African officials have rejected allegations of genocide.
Meyer said he hopes to help improve relations between the two countries and encourage greater cooperation, including on efforts to address crime.
The ambassador's position is particularly significant because of his own Afrikaner background. He was involved in South Africa's transition away from apartheid and has argued that his personal experience gives him a different perspective on the current controversy.
The disagreement over the treatment of white South Africans remains part of a broader diplomatic dispute between the United States and South Africa.
SJ Du Venage, who lives on South Africa's west coast, alleges there's a "political drive towards killing white people"
Source: BBC News — South African white genocide does not exist, new ambassador to US tells BBC