Mr President, South Africa stands at a perilous crossroads. The recent reports of AfriForum engaging with Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump seeking influence in the White House are not just concerning; they are an existential threat to our democracy, national sovereignty, and the very fabric of our nation.
AfriForum, under the guise of a civil rights organisation, has long operated as a reactionary force against transformation, social justice, and the constitutional order that define post-apartheid South Africa.
Their latest international lobbying efforts, particularly with figures known for their far-right populism, should not be dismissed as mere political gamesmanship.
This is a calculated move with dangerous consequences, and your administration must respond decisively.
AfriForum has positioned itself as a defender of minority rights, but a deeper look reveals a disturbing reality.
This is an organisation that has consistently opposed land reform, redress, and policies aimed at correcting historical injustices.
Their rhetoric, often laced with fearmongering, has been debunked time and again. Yet they persist in peddling falsehoods, not just domestically but on international platforms, where they find an eager audience among rightwingers.
Their connections with Musk and Trump raise serious concerns.
Trumpism, at its core, represents regressive, race-based nationalism that is fundamentally opposed to the values of equality, justice, and unity.
By aligning with such forces, AfriForum is not simply advocating for Afrikaner rights; they are deliberately misrepresenting the country’s reality for their own gain.
Mr President, no sovereign nation can afford to ignore organisations that actively work to erode its legitimacy on the global stage.
AfriForum’s strategy is clear: bypass democratic institutions and engage directly with foreign powers to pressure our government into abandoning constitutional transformation efforts.
This is not just lobbying. This is an attempt to undermine SA’s ability to determine its own future.
Their approach mirrors that of separatist movements worldwide, builds an external narrative of victimhood, gains powerful allies abroad, and uses international pressure to force domestic concessions.
If left unchecked, AfriForum could become a significant destabilising force, emboldening hardliners within their ranks and sowing deeper racial divisions in our society.
Your duty, Mr President, is to defend the Constitution and the nation from internal and external threats. AFRIForum’s actions meet the threshold of a national security concern.
The Constitution provides multiple avenues to address this:
• Investigate AfriForum: The government must scrutinise AfriForum’s international dealings to determine whether they constitute a direct threat to national security. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation should issue a formal diplomatic response, making it clear that AfriForum does not represent the interests of SA.
• Enforce transparency on foreign lobbying: South Africa must strengthen regulations on organisations engaging in foreign lobbying, particularly when it involves spreading disinformation. If AfriForum is working against national interests abroad, this must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
• Challenge disinformation aggressively: The government must take proactive steps to counter AfriForum’s false narratives. This includes diplomatic engagements with international media, direct rebuttals of their claims, and mobilising civil society to push back against these distortions.
Silence is not an option Mr President, if your administration remains passive, AfriForum will continue to embolden its efforts, secure more allies in influential foreign circles, and shape an international narrative that casts SA as a failing state.
This will have real consequences economic, political and social. Investors could grow wary of SA due to manipulated perceptions of instability, and far-right elements could use that to justify external interference in our affairs.
We cannot afford another situation where a small but well-connected lobby group dictates the global conversation about SA.
It is time to draw a line in the sand. AfriForum is not a neutral actor; it is a well-resourced, well-organised movement actively working against the principles of democracy and justice.
If we do not act now, their influence will only grow, and we may soon find ourselves in a struggle not just for economic justice but for the very soul of the nation.
History has taught us that those who undermine progress rarely stop on their own. They push until they meet resistance. Mr President, it is time to push back. South Africa’s future depends on it.
• Keswa is a businesswoman and a social commentator
