"I left my 5-bedroom house", One of 49 Afrikaner refugees speaks out on fleeing South Africa to the U.S - The Zambian Observer
“I left my 5-bedroom house”, One of 49 Afrikaner refugees speaks out on fleeing South Africa to the U.S.
Charl Kleinhaus, a 46-year-old Afrikaner who recently gained refugee status in the U.S., has sparked fierce debate after publicly stating he fled racial persecution in South Africa despite leaving behind a five-bedroom home, a car, pets, and his mother.
Speaking in a widely circulated BBC interview, Kleinhaus claimed, “If you’re white, you’re wrong in South Africa,” citing threats and discrimination as reasons for his departure.
He is among 49 Afrikaners fast-tracked into the U.S. under a new policy by President Donald Trump, who cited alleged race-based government discrimination in South Africa a claim strongly denied by the South African government.
President Cyril Ramaphosa called the move politically motivated, dismissing the group as privileged individuals resisting social change.
The case has divided public opinion. Critics argue Kleinhaus’s wealth undermines his refugee claim, while others point to his past antisemitic and Islamophobic remarks, which he blames on medication.
