The Take Why is Donald Trump fixated on South Africa?
9 snips
May 20, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Joseph Dana, a writer from Cape Town, unpacks Donald Trump's controversial fixation on South Africa. He explains the implications of granting refugee status to white Afrikaners, linked to a conspiracy theory about 'white genocide.' The conversation navigates South Africa's rising global tensions, land redistribution challenges, and the influences of figures like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel on U.S. narratives. Together, they explore the complexities of race and governance, shedding light on the socio-political landscape that shapes these debates.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Trump's Refugee Policy on Afrikaners
- The Trump administration granted refugee status to white Afrikaners based on a debunked "white genocide" conspiracy theory.
- This policy move is tied to a right-wing fixation on white South Africans and their plight.
Who Are Afrikaners?
- Afrikaners are a white minority group in South Africa descended from Dutch settlers, distinct from English-descended whites.
- They are historically tied to apartheid and make up about 2.7 million people today.
Apartheid as Right-Wing Symbol
- South Africa's apartheid era represents an ideal for far-right groups worldwide, symbolizing resistance to progressive change.
- The fall of apartheid and rise of democratic South Africa is seen by conservatives as a warning against 'woke politics gone wild.'