United States’ white Afrikaner refugee programme is Apartheid 2.0: Ronald Lamola

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, accused the United States of ‘Apartheid 2.0’ for favouring white Afrikaners in its refugee programme.

He shared this view during a panel discussion at the African Diaspora Forum hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation on Friday, 18 September 2026.

This engagement formed part of a working visit in Washington, DC, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Lamola is scheduled to have meetings on various issues, including economic diplomacy and South Africa’s relations with the United States.

Many people expected Lamola to use the opportunity to mend relationships with the United States. However, he used the platform to attack the country.

“South Africa represents an antithesis to what the United States administration seeks regarding diversity initiatives,” he said.

“The United States is opposing the advancement of black lives and the civil rights that black movements have fought for over many years.”

“If South African democracy succeeds in demonstrating that all humanity can live together, it proves that multi-racial democracy can also succeed in the US.”

He argued that opponents seek to undermine South Africa because it stands as a pivotal example of a diverse democracy.

Lamola said that South Africa possesses the highest number of white people outside the Northern Hemisphere, coexisting alongside black citizens.

“The South African government operates under a constitutional democracy that allows individuals across all backgrounds to live together free from restrictions,” he said.

“Attempting to stifle the spirit of black advancement begins by targeting South Africa to signal to Black Americans that equality and coexistence cannot succeed anywhere.”

He said that the South African government faces opposition despite ensuring equal advancement and success for all citizens under its constitutional order.

Lamola said that, given historic racial and ethnic fault lines, South Africans have been subjected to unfounded claims of a ‘genocide’ against white people.

These claims, he said, have been used to justify an ‘Afrikaner resettlement program’ in the United States that admits only white South Africans as refugees.

“This race-based policy reflects what can be termed ‘Apartheid 2.0’,” Ramola said during the discussion.