Representatives of South Africa’s San and Khoi indigenous communities are calling for a meeting with the United States administration, led by President Donald Trump, in light of the ongoing controversy surrounding land expropriation in South Africa.
Last month, Trump made headlines by claiming that South Africa was “confiscating” land and “treating certain classes of people very badly.” In response, Trump announced he would cut off all future funding to the country until an investigation could be conducted into the issue. He also suggested that South African Afrikaners, who may face land expropriation, should be prioritized for refugee status in the U.S., sparking widespread interest.
In a significant development, Christian Martin, a prominent activist advocating for the recognition of the Khoi and San people, wrote a memorandum to the Trump administration titled “Countering Claims by Solidarity and AfriForum Regarding Land Expropriation and Requesting a Meeting with President Donald Trump.”
Martin argues that the U.S. should not claim moral superiority on issues of indigenous rights, pointing out the troubling treatment of Native American communities. “The indigenous people of America are actually worse off than these people from Solidarity and AfriForum,” Martin remarked. He further criticized the campaign led by AfriForum and Solidarity, comparing it to a “schoolyard bully” ignoring the challenges faced by indigenous groups in the U.S., including high suicide rates, poverty, and substance abuse.
Martin’s letter to Trump stresses that the Khoi and San people, who have suffered over 400 years of dispossession and marginalization, deserve recognition and attention on the international stage. He emphasized that if a meeting with Trump takes place, the Khoi and San would like to highlight their historical and ongoing struggles, suggesting that the real victims of the land issue in South Africa are the indigenous people who have been dispossessed for centuries.
The growing tensions around land expropriation have also resulted in significant pushback from local lobby groups. Last month, the advocacy organizations AfriForum and Solidarity were met with criticism for their role in lobbying the U.S. government, which led to the imposition of sanctions and the cessation of financial aid that impacts millions of South Africans.
The call for a meeting with Trump represents an important push for indigenous recognition and a reexamination of the broader context of land reform and historical injustice in South Africa. With the support of many in the Khoi and San communities, activists are now looking to ensure their voices are heard on the global stage.
