Trump and the Voetsekkers have not been a popular topic as of late, especially since the US President’s claims of a white genocide in the infamous Ramaphosa meeting have been widely debunked. I would say his ego got a little bruised because of it, but we all know by now that Trump’s own ignorance is his bliss, and he has probably convinced himself he is the truth-teller amongst “fake news”. But Trump’s beef with South Africa goes deep and realistically won’t stop any time soon, even with his recent breakup with SA-born BFF Elon Musk. Regardless of whether the news cycle cares anymore or not, Trump’s Afrikaner refugee programme is absurd, yes, but also still very much a reality. And revealing. 

His fantasy about the “endangered white South African” and forced white victimhood does not just misrepresent our reality but also draws up larger questions about who is “deserving” of being protected under the banner of “minority”. Anyone who possesses critical thinking skills knows that Trump’s refugee decision is a racist one – he has paused refugee and asylum processes for various other *cough black and brown cough* countries, making it very clear who he views as worthy of his support.

As a South African Indian (I am 5th generation SAn and ‘Indian’ is a race group here, so it just means I am ethnically Indian, I don’t have any legal ties to India), I don’t look like the kind of minority Trump wishes to save. And I am perfectly fine with that. But are other South African Indians? I’ve seen and heard some sentiments that they aren’t.

Who is a minority here

Essentially any race group that isn’t black. South Africa is a sub-Saharan African country, so *shocker* the majority of people here are black. The latest racial demographic breakdown from 2024 shows that people of Asian/Indian descent make up the smallest group in South Africa at 2.6%. 

Apartheid divided the races and made people view each other through that lens. As such, black, white, coloured, and Indian became the four main race groups through which people identified themselves. And Indians have held an awkward middle space in that time – definitely not as oppressed as black people, but didn’t have the same privileges as white people.

And in a democratic South Africa, I think that remains more or less true. We’re underrepresented politically but not invisible. We experience racial microaggressions but aren’t structurally excluded in the same way many black South Africans still are. And crucially to this column’s point — no global superpower is stepping in to “save” us.

Trump’s criteria for refugee admission in this new programme stipulate:

“To be eligible for U.S. resettlement consideration, individuals must meet all of the following criteria: 

  • Must be of South African nationality; and 
  • Must be of Afrikaner ethnicity or be a member of a racial minority in South Africa; and
  • Must be able to articulate a past experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.”

So why is there no rush from Trump and his White House technocrats to include coloured or Indian people in this? That’s because minority status is political, not neutral. When Trump says he wants to protect “minorities,” what he means is white people who feel their dominance slipping. And for those of us in between, the message is clear: if you’re at risk, it only really matters if it flatters someone else’s agenda.

The anti-black elephant in the room

Yes, it is hurtful when these conversations of South African belonging leave out anyone who isn’t white or black. But to talk about our vulnerability without talking about our complicity would be dishonest.

People can point to a few reasons why some SAn Indians are eager to jump on this refugee bandwagon (or plane, in this case) – poverty, crime, unemployment… essentially everything that makes South Africa difficult to live and thrive in. But also the prevailing essence of apartheid that bleeds into race relations in the country today. The “go back to India” comments are in no shortage, but I also cannot ignore the strong anti-black sentiments my community refuses to acknowledge at times.

European colonialism and white rule, something India has been the victim of for centuries, has trained a lot of communities of colour into viewing whiteness as the goal. Even amongst ourselves, colourism has thrived – with those who have lighter skin, hair and eyes given more value. Because whiteness = a better life. But in a multiracial South Africa, that aligns with the very essence of apartheid, i.e. seeing themselves as something separate from, or superior to, the black majority. And such behaviours and mindsets obviously spark tension. But can you then use said tension as a reason to apply for refugee status? In a sane world, no. But I am not sure that’s what the world has ever been.

So no, I’m not lining up for Trump’s fake refugee programme. And I’m not interested in being “saved” by a man whose idea of “persecution” depends entirely on your proximity to whiteness. But I am deeply interested in what this moment reveals about us — about how South African Indians see ourselves, and where we imagine we belong in the Rainbow Nation.

kajal@explain.co.za |  + posts

Kajal holds an MA in Journalism, Media, and Globalisation from the Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich. She has previous experience in African-focused humanitarian media and transnational newsrooms. The enduring power of words in shaping the narrative of tomorrow remains the foundation upon which she builds her career.