Afrikaaners In The US: Expats Or Regugees?

Afrikaners in the US: Expats or refugees? Loophole or Lifeline? 59 Afrikaners touch down in the US as official refugees in 2025 while “real” war refugees remain stuck in the queue. By James Durrant 05-10-25 07:20 in South African Expats Afrikaners in the US Picture this: 59 Afrikaners touch down in the US as official refugees in 2025. Meanwhile, actual war refugees? Still stuck in the queue. Awkward, right? Image: Mistral. Van der Merwe walks into a bar in Dallas and orders a beer. The bartender asks, “So, are you an expat or a refugee?” Van der Merwe pauses. “Ja, good question…” When 59 Afrikaners arrived at Dulles Airport in May 2025 under official refugee status, it sparked a debate that’s more complicated than it first appears. Right, full disclosure: I wasn’t much good at Afrikaans at school. Barely scraped through matric, so I’m probably the last person wading into this. But when those charter flights started landing in the US with Afrikaners claiming refugee status, I couldn’t help wondering wait, can you do that? The Tale of the 59 Afrikaners Here’s what actually happened: 59 Afrikaners touched down at Dulles Airport in May 2025 on a government-chartered flight. They were greeted by State Department officials, processed in months (not years), and officially designated as refugees under Trump’s executive order. Another 9 arrived shortly after. The State Department had received 8 000 enquiries about the programme. Meanwhile, refugees from actual war zones? Door closed. Syrian families? Nope. Venezuelan asylum seekers? Suspended. But this one very specific group? Red carpet treatment. Here’s the kicker: in fiscal year 2024, exactly zero South Africans were resettled in the US as refugees. Zero. Then suddenly… What’s in a word? Let’s see what Oxford actually says: Expatriate: “A person living in a country that is not their own, usually by choice.” Refugee: “A person who has been forced to leave their own country because they are in danger.” Asylum Seeker: “A person who has been forced to leave their own country because they are in danger and who arrives in another country asking to be allowed to stay there.” See those keywords? “By choice” versus “forced” versus “in danger.” It’s not just semantics, it’s literally the difference between waiting years for a visa and being flown in on a chartered plane. The Uncomfortable Bit According to Oxford’s own data, the words that most commonly appear with “expat” are: British, American, Indian, Canadian, Australian. Words that appear with “immigrant”? Illegal, undocumented, Mexican, legal, Chinese. Words with “refugee”? Syrian, Palestinian, Afghan, Somali, Sudanese. So when predominantly white, English-speaking South Africans arrive on government charters and get called “refugees”… ag, you can see why people have questions, né? But are they actually refugees? The Trump administration claimed Afrikaners were facing “genocide” and “race-based persecution.” The South African government said, essentially, “eish, that’s a bit dramatic.” Many of the new arrivals spoke English, a third had relatives already in the US, and some cited violence that happened 25 years ago. They mentioned not trusting the police and general safety concerns – fair enough, but don’t millions of South Africans of all races share those exact same worries? So what’s the answer? Here’s where I admit I genuinely don’t know. Are they: Expats who found a political loophole to skip the visa queue? Refugees genuinely fleeing persecution? Something in between – people whose privilege and politics aligned at exactly the right moment? The fear these folks feel is real. The violence in SA exists. But does it meet the international threshold for refugee status? The South African government says no. The Trump administration says yes. Everyone else is just confused. It’s a bit like claiming refugee status from Camps Bay because of property crime, innit? Technically the crime exists. Technically you’ve left. But… Your Turn Honestly? I don’t have the answer. I barely passed Afrikaans at school and I’m clearly not cut out for international refugee law either. Are they expats or refugees? Does it even matter? Is the whole debate missing the point? Drop your thoughts on our socials – because one thing’s certain: those 8 000 people waiting for the next flight aren’t worried about semantics.

South Africa: Expat Grief Is Real

Expat grief is real, but nobody talks about it You chose a new life abroad, so why does success feel like sacrifice? The guilt, the missed moments, the love split between two worlds – this is expat grief. By James Durrant 09-10-25 10:14 in South African Expats Expat grief is real, but nobody talks about it Everyone understands the grief of missing a final goodbye. But what about the years of quiet loss before that—the Sunday lunches, the aging parents, the life you left behind? This is the expat grief no one talks about. Image: Unsplash My mother died in November 2019 after a long battle with cancer. I flew home from London knowing she was about to die. My father phoned me while I was standing in passport control at Cape Town International to tell me my mum had just died. I was 20 minutes too late. That’s the kind of grief people understand. They say “I’m so sorry” and they mean it. What they don’t understand is the other grief, the one that started years before that phone call. The grief of watching her age through FaceTime. The grief of missing Sunday lunches and school plays and the thousand small moments that make up a relationship. The grief of knowing that when I chose London, I also chose distance. The loss that isn’t really loss Psychologists call it “ambiguous loss”, grief for something that isn’t technically gone but feels unreachable. Your parents are alive, but you’re not there to help them navigate their smartphones or notice they’ve started walking slower. Your nephew is growing up, but you’re experiencing it through WhatsApp photos with a seven-hour time delay. Your best friend from university stopped calling because the time difference made spontaneity impossible. You chose this life. That’s what makes the grief so complicated. When people ask how you’re doing in London, they expect you to say “great” because, objectively, you are. But that success feels like it was bought with something precious. Every promotion, every lovely weekend in the Cotswolds, every moment of feeling genuinely at home here, comes with a whisper of guilt. The grief nobody wants to hear about The problem is you can’t really talk about it. Say you’re struggling with being away from family and people back home think you’re having regrets. Mention you missed your dad’s 70th birthday and colleagues say “but you can visit anytime”. Post something melancholic about South Africa on social media and someone will comment “then come back” as if it’s that simple. So most expats just carry it quietly. We WhatsApp our families every week and pretend the screen doesn’t feel like a barrier. We book flights home and pretend two weeks a year is enough. We watch our parents age in annual increments and tell ourselves it’s fine, everyone deals with this, stop being dramatic. Living with both Twenty years in, I’ve learned you don’t resolve this grief. You learn to hold it alongside the joy. I love my life in London and I grieve what I’ve missed in South Africa. Both things are true. The mistake I made for years was thinking I had to choose one feeling or the other. Missing my mum’s last moments was devastating. But the real grief started long before that flight. It was in every milestone I attended via video call, every crisis I couldn’t physically help with, every “I wish you were here” that hung in the air during family gatherings I saw in Instagram photos later. This is what nobody tells you about being an expat. The grief doesn’t come all at once. It accumulates in small doses over decades. And sometimes, standing in passport control holding a phone, it all arrives at once. What have you grieved as an expat? What losses do you carry that are hard to explain to people who’ve never lived this split existence?

Madagascar's Generation Z Protestors Push For Change

Nothing to Lose: Madagascar’s Gen Z Protesters Push For Change – and Get It Madagascar Rakotoarivao Andritiana Kevin, a 20-year-old Malagasy law student, walks to a public water fountain every day to wait 90 minutes before he can fill his water container – frequent water shortages in Madagascar often leave him going without at home. He has nowhere to turn to, however, when electrical surges during frequent power cuts damage his appliances and computers, and leave him in the dark. “Our lives are wrecked,” Kevin told the New York Times. “Everything is falling apart.” That’s why Kevin has been among the thousands of young people on the Indian Ocean island who have taken part in demonstrations for weeks. These began over these utility shortages but have since morphed into wider protests against the country’s high unemployment rate, cost-of-living, and its breathtaking landscape of corruption. On Tuesday, the protests brought down the government. Late Monday, President Andry Rajoelina said in a social media post from an undisclosed location that he had fled the country – with the help of France – in fear for his life after the elite CAPSAT military unit joined the protests over the weekend. He did not resign. “I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life,” Rajoelina said in his speech broadcast on the president’s official Facebook page. He said he was “on a mission to find solutions” and also dissolved the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, by decree. Instead, the legislature voted Tuesday to impeach the president, a move that must be confirmed by the Constitutional Court to become valid. The problem is, the military government that took over the country on Tuesday under the leadership of Col Michael Randrianirina, chief of CAPSAT, said it has suspended the court and all other state institutions except the General Assembly – even as the court confirmed his new status as leader of the country. “We will form a government and reach consensus,” Randrianirina told reporters in Madagascar, adding that the country would hold elections within the next 18 months to two years. The CAPSAT chief said Gen Z Mada protesters would be part of the transformation because “the movement was created in the streets so we have to respect their demands.” He added that he and his fellow officers had no choice but to unseat the current regime: “There is no president, there is no government… nothing here works.” Over the weekend, CAPSAT soldiers posted a video to social media, telling their fellow soldiers, “Let us join forces, military, gendarmes, and police, and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers and our sisters.” The protesters hailed the military takeover, remaining on the streets Tuesday, singing and dancing, joined by civil servants and union leaders. Workers at the state-owned utility company demanded that its CEO resign. “We’re so happy Andry Rajoelina is finally gone… We will start again,” high-school student Fih Nomensanahary told Reuters. Inspired by Gen Z protests erupting around the world against governments, the trigger for these demonstrations was the arrest on Sept. 25 of two leading politicians representing the capital, Antananarivo, who had planned protests in their city. Afterward, an online youth movement known as Gen Z Mada organized the marches there, which then spread to other cities across the island and have drawn Malagasy of all ages, underlining frustrations over corruption and living conditions that span generations, say analysts. Despite its rich natural resources, Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries, with nearly three-quarters of its population of 32 million living below the poverty line. The average annual income in 2025 was $461, almost half of what it was in 1960 when it became independent from France, a decline blamed on corruption. “We’re still struggling,” Heritiana Rafanomezantsoa, a protester in Antananarivo, told Agence France-Presse. “The problem is the system. Our lives haven’t improved since we gained independence from France.” The government, however, had reacted harshly to the protests: It deployed tear gas and live rounds demonstrators, killing at least 22 people and injuring hundreds more. Still, in late September, Rajoelina fired all his cabinet ministers in a bid to appease protesters and stop the unrest, the worst since his reelection in 2023 in a vote critics say was marred by fraud, and which the opposition boycotted. The move, however, failed to satisfy the demonstrators. The president refused to step down, instead describing the protests as an attempted coup. “(The protesters) have been exploited to provoke a coup,” said Rajoelina, a former DJ, who took power himself in a CAPSAT-backed coup in 2009. “Countries and agencies paid for this movement to get me out, not through elections, but for profit…” At the same time, Rajoelina, since early October, had been mobilizing thousands of his supporters in counter-protests that have been far smaller and, as anti-government protesters pointed out, allowed to gather. Supporters of the government say all is fine in the country. “We have water, we have electricity, it works very well,” one of the president’s supporters told Africanews, adding that they just wanted life to return to normal. Meanwhile, last week, Rajoelina appointed army Gen. Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as the new prime minister. The decision was seen as a significant militarization of the government and an effort by the president to secure the army’s support, the BBC wrote. Gen Z protesters, however, rejected Zafisambo’s appointment: In addition to Rajoelina’s resignation, they wanted the dissolution of parliament, the replacement of constitutional court judges and electoral commission members, and a crackdown on corruption, including investigations into the president and top businessmen close to him. Now, analysts say his fate is likely to echo that of his predecessor, Marc Ravalomanana, who was ousted by protesters in 2009. “He has left the country and doesn’t have a government in place because he dismissed it a week ago – and he doesn’t have the support of the legislature, the army, or his people,” said Luke Freeman of the University College London in an interview with France 24. “It will be difficult for him to come back from this,” he added. “The challenge for Gen Z now is to stay part of the conversation, now that the army and the politicians are taking the lead in moving (the country) forward. They don’t want a situation where all of their efforts get taken over by the old guard whom they want to see replaced, within the old system that they want overthrown.” Share this story

Madagascar Faces Power Struggle

Madagascar Faces Power Struggle as Elite Army Unit Joins Youth-Led Protests Madagascar Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina warned Sunday that an “attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway after an elite army unit that once helped him take power in a 2009 coup said it was assuming command of the military after weeks of escalating protests demanding his resignation, the Guardian reported. Over the weekend, leaders of the elite CAPSAT unit marked the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s rule since his reelection in 2023, which was marred by allegations of fraud. The unit’s leaders announced they were taking control of national security operations and coordinating all military branches from their base outside the capital, Antananarivo. They were soon joined by elements of the gendarmerie (military force with law enforcement duties), who said in a televised statement that they would “protect the people, not the interests of a few individuals,” Reuters added. It is not clear if the rest of the military was under CAPSAT control. The crisis marks a major escalation after nearly three weeks of youth-led protests that began on Sept. 25 over water and electricity shortages. The demonstrations quickly evolved into calls for Rajoelina’s ouster, an end to corruption, and a complete political overhaul. Thousands have participated in the “Gen Z” protests, with CAPSAT soldiers joining the protests over the weekend after previously refusing orders to shoot at protesters. Amid the turmoil, Rajoelina’s office said he was “in the country, managing national affairs,” though his exact whereabouts remained unclear. Newly appointed Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo, who is a general, said the government was ready to “engage in dialogue with all factions,” including youth and military representatives. At least 22 people have been killed since the unrest began, though Rajoelina has disputed that number. The African Union has called for calm and urged all sides to avoid violence as fears of another coup mounted over the weekend.

Cape Town's Best Three Markets To Visit

Cape Town’s best 3 markets to visit: Days and opening times you need to know If you’re visiting Cape Town or living in the Mother City, consider visiting these three markets. Here’s when they’re open … By James Durrant 06-10-25 10:36 in Cape Town Oranjezicht City Farm Market If you're visiting Cape Town or living in the Mother City, consider visiting these three markets. Image: Oranjezicht City Farm Market Being originally from Cape Town with family and businesses there, I’m lucky to visit ‘home’ regularly. Three markets I never miss are festival-like experiences that capture everything I love about Cape Town’s vibrant food and community culture. If you’re visiting or living in the city, you should visit these too. 1. Oranjezicht City Farm Market – Now at a Stunning New Waterfront Location Days: Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday evenings (seasonal) Opening Times: Saturday: 08:00 – 14:00 Sunday: 08:30 – 14:00 Wednesday Night Market: 16:00 – 21:00 (September 2025 to April 2026) Location: Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront, Beach Road The Oranjezicht Market has always been my go-to for fresh, sustainable, locally-sourced produce, and now it’s better than ever. In October 2025, this beloved farmers’ market relaunched at its new location within the V&A Waterfront’s Granger Bay precinct. Consistently ranked in the top 10 farmers’ markets worldwide, the market now occupies a beautiful wooden shed designed by a prominent architect. The new space offers more room, better parking (350 bays), and improved connectivity with the waterfront – while keeping the signature woodchips and dog-friendly atmosphere locals love. This is where I do my weekly shopping when ‘home’ – fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs, artisanal bread, organic dairy, free-range eggs, raw honey, and ethically sourced meats and seafood. The focus is squarely on local, fresh, seasonal ingredients from independent farmers and artisanal producers. The relocation is part of the V&A Waterfront’s R20 billion Granger Bay expansion. The market has retained its authentic, community-driven spirit while gaining the space it deserves. What makes it special: Commitment to sustainable food systems, quality produce, community atmosphere, and unbeatable ocean views. Pro tip: Arrive early Saturday mornings. Dogs on short leashes welcome. 2. Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill – The Original Hipster Haven Days: Saturday and Sunday Opening times: Saturday: 09:00 – 15:00 (designers), food stalls until 17:00 Sunday: 10:00 – 15:00 (designers), food stalls until 17:00 Location: 373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock If Oranjezicht is about farm-fresh produce, Neighbourgoods is about street food culture and creative community. Located in a former biscuit factory in Woodstock, this market has been Cape Town’s cultural hub for nearly two decades. This is where I come for inspiration from Cape Town’s creative energy. The market offers designer street food from around the world – flammkuchen, Korean delicacies, pasta, shakshuka, Swahili doughnuts, paella, and shisa nyama. Options for everyone: vegan, halaal, and sugar-free. Live DJs and bands create an incredible atmosphere. Beyond food, you’ll find handcrafted products, designer clothing, organic beauty products, and artisanal goods from local makers. What makes it special: The vibe, people-watching, and fusion of food, design, and live music representing Cape Town’s cosmopolitan spirit. Pro tip: No parking available Saturdays. Use Cape Town College parking opposite (R10 all day, entrance on Kent Street) or take MyCiti bus route 261. Dogs on leashes welcome. Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill 3. Bay Harbour Market – Hout Bay’s Vibrant Celebration Days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Opening times: Friday: 17:00 – 21:00 (Friday Nite LIVE!) Saturday & Sunday: 09:30 – 16:00 Location: 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay Set in an old fish factory at Hout Bay Harbour, Bay Harbour Market is the most vibrant market in Cape Town. This is where I bring visitors who want to experience South African creativity, culture, and cuisine in one place. Friday nights are special, with live music on the Brampton sound stage that creates a party atmosphere. The market hosts musicians, dancers, and entertainers throughout the day. You can enjoy with a craft beer or local wine, or get up and dance. Over 100 traders offer handmade clothing, jewellery, art, and foods representing every cuisine. The indoor setting means rain or shine visits, with an outdoor area for fresh sea breezes. The Hout Bay Harbour setting, surrounded by mountains and ocean, is spectacular. What makes it special: Live entertainment, diversity of offerings, and genuinely South African atmosphere. A social enterprise supporting traders from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pro tip: Friday nights have the best vibe. Pets not allowed inside. Explore Hout Bay while you’re there. Bay Harbour Market Why These Three Markets Matter Each market offers something different but equally essential to the Cape Town experience. Oranjezicht celebrates sustainable food systems. Neighbourgoods showcases creative culture and global cuisine. Bay Harbour brings together the diversity and spirit that makes South Africa special. When I’m ‘home’, I visit all three because they’re about community, connection, and celebrating what makes Cape Town one of the world’s great food cities. Whether you’re after fresh produce, global street food, or festive market atmosphere with live music, these three deliver every time.

Drug Lord Secures Protection In Siera Leone By Having A Child With The President's Daughter

Drug lord 'secures protection in Sierra Leone by having a child with the president's daughter' By Olivia Allhusen, 2 days ago Europe's most wanted cocaine kingpin has secured protection in West Africa by fathering a child with the daughter of Sierra Leone's president, according to opposition figures. Dutch trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, known as Chubby Jos, has spent more than two years on the run in Sierra Leone while being hunted by European authorities. The 34-year-old, who faces prison sentences totalling 74 years, is allegedly being shielded by President Julius Maada Bio. Opposition leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray claims that Agnes Bio, the president's daughter, gave birth to Leijdekkers' child in New York. He accused the Bio government of protecting the Dutch fugitive and blocking efforts to bring him to justice. Leijdekkers has been seen socialising with the Bio family, including at a New Year's church service filmed and shared on social media by First Lady Fatima Bio, where he appeared standing two rows behind the president. Reports that he sat beside the president's daughter were denied by Bio, who insisted he does not know Leijdekkers. Footage obtained by Follow the Money and AD also shows Leijdekkers at a private birthday party in March 2024 for Alusine Kanneh, Sierra Leone's immigration chief, where he presented a gift during the celebration. The 34-year-old (pictured), who faces prison sentences totalling 74 years, is allegedly being shielded by President Julius Maada Bio Leijdekkers has a €200,000 reward for his capture and reportedly remained in Sierra Leone during the birth, while President Bio visited his daughter and grandchild in New York during the UN General Assembly. In response to mounting reports, Sierra Leone's communications ministry issued a statement saying Bio had 'no knowledge of the identity or the issues detailed' concerning Leijdekkers. Convicted multiple times in the Netherlands and Belgium for large-scale cocaine trafficking, Leijdekkers was sentenced in September to eight years in Belgium, bringing his total prison term there to 50 years. He also faces charges including torture and murder. Last year, he received a 24-year sentence in the Netherlands for his role in six major drug shipments. Dutch authorities have formally requested his extradition, but the appeal remains unresolved. Now living under the alias Omar Sheriff, Leijdekkers is believed to be running a vast smuggling network from a fortified compound in Freetown, worth an estimated €1 billion. The so-called Africa route - used to funnel cocaine into Europe - now accounts for a third of the continent's supply, a figure expected to rise to half within five years, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC).

ICC Convicts Sudan Militia Leader For Atrocities In Darfur

ICC Convicts Sudan Militia Leader for Atrocities in Darfur Darfur / Sudan The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, in a landmark ruling, convicted the first Janjaweed militia leader for atrocities committed over two decades ago in Sudan’s Darfur region, Reuters reported. The court unanimously found Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman guilty on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder, and persecution, and rejected his defense of mistaken identity. “He (Kushayb) encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed,” said presiding judge Joanna Korner, adding that he gave orders to “wipe out and sweep away” non-Arab tribes, telling soldiers, “don’t leave anyone behind. Bring no one alive.” His sentence will be handed down at a later time, following a new round of hearings. Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was a key leader of the Janjaweed, a government-backed militia that terrorized the Darfur region and killed hundreds of thousands of people, the BBC wrote. His conviction represents a historic moment for the ICC – concluding the first and only trial over crimes committed in Sudan. The case was brought to the court by the United Nations Security Council in 2005, and the trial began three years ago. The 2003-2020 conflict in Darfur began when the then-government of Sudan mobilized mostly Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, to end an armed revolt by rebels from Black African ethnic groups, who accused the state of marginalizing them. Human rights groups have alleged that the violence that followed amounted to genocide and ethnic cleansing against the non-Arabic population in the region. Following Monday’s ruling, victims of the conflict said the verdict had restored some faith in the ICC after the length of time it took to conclude this case. During the trial, survivors recounted how their villages were set on fire and their males slaughtered, and how women were forced into sex slavery. Meanwhile, there are outstanding arrest warrants for other Sudanese officials, including former President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide, which he denies. Bashir, who was ousted in a coup in 2019, is reportedly in military custody in northern Sudan. Fighting restarted in Sudan in 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – the latter originating from the Janjaweed – resulting in ethnically-driven killings and mass displacement. The UN said the conflict created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.