Johannesburg, South Africa – Former South African President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has filed a treason complaint against AfriForum, a lobby group representing the country’s white Afrikaner minority. The complaint comes after AfriForum campaigned in the United States against South Africa’s land reform law, which seeks to redistribute white-owned land.
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The MK party accuses AfriForum of deliberately spreading misinformation to influence former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently criticized the law, calling it an “unfair targeting of white farmers.”
MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the group’s actions amounted to an attempt to “undermine South Africa’s sovereignty” by inviting foreign interference. “No organization should engage in fearmongering on an international platform in a way that jeopardizes South Africa’s democratic processes,” he said.
AfriForum has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. “We will not lose any sleep over these accusations,” CEO Kallie Kriel told local media. “It is the duty of civil society organizations like AfriForum to highlight policies that could have serious implications for all South Africans.”
The group has defended its lobbying efforts, arguing that the law could lead to economic instability and erode property rights.
The complaint underscores the deep political and racial divisions over land reform, a highly contested issue in post-apartheid South Africa.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) says the policy is necessary to correct historical injustices, but critics warn of economic risks and potential investor flight. While it remains unclear how far the treason complaint will go, the debate over land expropriation continues to fuel tensions both domestically and abroad.
