JOHANNESBURG – In a twist that could only come from the playbook of political hilarity, Donald Trump’s executive order offering refuge to white South African farmers has been met with unexpected enthusiasm, thanks to the ANC’s latest brainchild – Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC).
With the ANC’s plan to seize land without paying for it sounding more like a prank from a political satire show than actual policy, many Afrikaners are now contemplating a trek not across South Africa, but straight to the land of the free. “If I have to give up my farm for free, I might as well give up the whole country for an American dream,” laughed a farmer from the Western Cape, dreaming of a place where property rights aren’t just a suggestion.
The notion of EWC, or as it’s now known among farmers, “Every White’s Concern,” has turned the idea of moving to America into something akin to escaping a bad dream. “Here, they want to take our land; there, they just want to build walls around it,” quipped another, imagining a future where his land is secure, even if it comes with the side effect of listening to Trump’s speeches.
The thought of trading their beloved braai for a barbecue, their farms for ranches, and their bakkies for pickup trucks has led to a wave of laughter and memes, with social media buzzing with images of Afrikaners learning to say “y’all” instead of “jou” and “howdy” in place of “hallo”.
“Imagine, we leave a country where they’re arguing about land, to go to one where the biggest land debate is about who gets to build a golf course next,” another farmer chuckled, reflecting on the absurdity of it all. The irony of potentially leaving South Africa because of land issues, only to deal with America’s unique brand of political drama, has not been lost on anyone.
Yet, beneath the humor lies a poignant critique of the ANC’s policies, which seem to push more towards division than unity. “At least in America, when they talk about making America great again, they’re not suggesting to do it by taking someone else’s backyard,” one farmer mused, highlighting the bizarre comparison.
As the night of February 9, 2025, progresses, and South Africans ponder the future of their country under the shadow of EWC, Trump’s offer doesn’t seem so wild. After all, in a world where your land can be taken without compensation, the promise of a place where property might just be sacred again sounds like a satirical punchline turned reality.