South Africa Takes - Orania Builds

Trump’s Executive Order and South Africa’s Land Crisis

Yesterday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting U.S. financial aid to South Africa and prioritizing the resettlement of "Afrikaner refugees." This comes after South Africa’s president signed the Expropriation Bill into law, which allows the government to seize land, shares, pension funds - any private property - without compensation.

I live in Orania, a small Afrikaner town in the Northern Cape, far removed from the centers of political power. Yet, we feel the weight of these policies. We know what they mean. We've heard Julius Malema say, “White people will no longer eat alone… if you refuse us a seat at the dinner table, we will destroy that table.”

Orania's answer? We’ll build our own table.

We Will Take the Land and Give It to Our People

The South African government has tried to reassure us about the Expropriation Act of 2024. They claim that expropriation will only happen “in the public interest” and that they will act responsibly. But this is hardly comforting in a country where politics are deeply tied to race. Voting patterns feel more like a racial census than a democratic process. What's more, this same government has repeatedly failed to hold certain individuals accountable for their harmful words and actions.

The paradox? These are not fringe radicals shouting from the sidelines. They are the government. Malema and Mngxitama sit in Parliament. Ramaphosa is the president. At best, this rhetoric is recklessly irresponsible. At worst, it signals the systemic marginalization of Afrikaners. South Africa now has over 141 race-based laws - more than during the height of Apartheid. That is not equality but a deliberate restructuring of society to exclude one group.

Consider the broader context:

The pattern is clear: this is not about justice or redress. It is about denying Afrikaners access to opportunity and, ultimately, the right to exist as a distinct people.

Malema, who once praised Robert Mugabe as a hero, made his intentions explicit: "White people will no longer eat alone, we are coming to sit on the dinner table and if you are refusing us on a dinner table, we are going to destroy that dinner table." Orania refuses to wait for destruction. We are building our own table.

Roll Up Your Sleeves - Orania’s Approach

Many Afrikaners feel abandoned, excluded from opportunities, businesses, and even control over their children's education. I understand that frustration. But here in Orania, we don’t dwell on resentment – we build.

In 1991, 30 families settled in an abandoned, lifeless ghost town in the Bo-Karoo region of South Africa. They bought it for R1.03 million, with no schools, no businesses, and no infrastructure. Everything had to be created from scratch. Today, Orania is thriving. Our community now boasts its own schools, where children learn in their mother tongue. Our businesses are expanding, with a growing number of ventures anticipating further growth. We’re steadily moving toward energy independence, keeping our lights on while the rest of the country faces blackouts. Most importantly, we have a future – a future we are shaping with our own hands.

So, what made this possible? Three simple but powerful beliefs:

Orania is more than just a town; it is a community founded on the principles of Afrikaner self-determination, culture, and self-reliance. We provide a space where Afrikaners can preserve their heritage, language, and traditions in a world that often demands assimilation at the cost of identity. We do our own work, whether farming, construction, or running a business. It’s not just about economics; it’s about dignity, self-reliance, and creating something that truly belongs to us.

Our approach has shown tangible success. The population is growing by 12% annually, attracting visitors from all over, including South African presidents, politicians, journalists, and foreign embassies. What was once ridiculed has become a model of success.

As of the 2023 census, Orania’s economy is expanding rapidly. Property values have soared, and the education sector is flourishing. Two schools now serve approximately 700 students, providing instruction in their mother tongue and cultural traditions. A technical college, launched in 2019 with just five students, now enrolls 200 students in trades, engineering, and construction. Plans are underway to expand student housing to accommodate 800. Healthcare and security services are also improving. A registered security company has extended its operations beyond Orania, while volunteer fire, medical, and security personnel ensure the community’s safety.

Not everyone who applies to move here is accepted. That’s not because we wish to exclude, but because a community is built on shared values. Just like a family or a marriage needs common ground to survive, so does a town like ours. Every culture has the right to preserve its identity, and so do we.

The Future of Afrikaners: A Call for Support to Trump

The debate over land, fueled by the new Expropriation Act, is not just about property; it’s a challenge to the very existence of our community and our right to live as a distinct people. In Orania, we’ve worked long and hard toward this dream.

We are grateful to Trump: for the recognition of Afrikaners as a distinct group and for his focus on the alarming threat to personal ownership in South Africa. But we don’t seek U.S. taxpayer dollars or refugee status. What we seek is freedom. We call for the international recognition of Orania’s self-determination, granting us the right to pursue self-governance and autonomy on our own land.

We are people of Africa, and we will not be driven away. We will roll up our sleeves, and rebuild.

Joost Strydom

CEO of the Orania Movement