Kallie's Trumpgate Whitewash: Unmasking AfriForum’s Strategic Far‐Right Alignment

An exposé of how AfriForum’s international lobbying, boardroom alliances, and funding networks echo a segregationist past—and what this means for all South Africans.

Introduction

In a recent press briefing, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel denied any influence on U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy positions regarding South Africa. He claimed that AfriForum’s international engagements were solely aimed at protecting property rights and defending civil liberties against what the organisation deems unjust domestic policies. However, a close examination of documented events and internal support networks reveals a very different picture—a systematic strategy of engaging with far?right networks that mirrors tactics used by historical organisations such as the old National Party and even the Ku Klux Klan. This article unpacks a timeline of key events, examines internal board and funding connections, and discusses the implications for nation?building and reconciliation in post?Apartheid South Africa.

Kallie Kriel’s Spin: Denial and Whitewashing

At the press conference, Kallie Kriel’s message was unequivocal: AfriForum had no role in influencing Trump’s stance and was focused solely on domestic issues. His carefully crafted language sought to reframe the organisation’s overseas activities as benign efforts to defend property rights. Yet, by omitting evidence of deliberate far?right outreach and internal funding linkages, Kriel is effectively whitewashing a documented strategy. This spin obscures the fact that AfriForum’s international engagements—through high?level meetings and participation in far?right events—are central to its ideological framework.

A Timeline of Strategic Far?Right Engagements

·?????? May 2018 – The Inaugural U.S. Outreach In May 2018, AfriForum dispatched a high?level delegation—including CEO Kallie Kriel and deputy CEO Ernst Roets—to the United States. During this trip, the delegation met with influential figures such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton and staffers associated with Senator Ted Cruz and appeared on Fox News [1][2]. These meetings were part of a deliberate lobbying strategy aimed at highlighting what AfriForum described as government overreach in South Africa’s land reform policies. Bolton’s well?known conservative stance and the credentials of Cruz’s staff place these engagements squarely within far?right circles that promote exclusionary ideologies.

·?????? July 2024 – Support?Raising Tour at the National Conservatism Conference In July 2024, representatives of the Afrikaner Foundation—a group closely aligned with AfriForum—and members of the broader Solidarity network embarked on a support?raising tour to the United States. The delegation attended the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon 4) in Washington, D.C. and hosted a high?profile launch event in New York City [3]. These events are documented for attracting far?right political figures and ideologues. The strategic choice of such platforms underscores AfriForum’s commitment to aligning with transnational far?right networks that reinforce its domestic agenda against progressive reforms.

·?????? January 2025 – Policy Advocacy and Echoes in Trump’s Rhetoric In January 2025, another AfriForum delegation travelled to the United States with the specific aim of opposing South Africa’s Expropriation Act [4]. Although details of the meetings were less publicized, shortly after the delegation’s return former President Trump echoed rhetoric that closely mirrored AfriForum’s narrative on land reform [5]. The close timing suggests that AfriForum’s advocacy efforts are feeding directly into far?right discourse that champions restrictive property rights policies.

Internal Support: Board Members and Key Funders

A critical yet less visible aspect of AfriForum’s strategy is its internal support network. An analysis of its board composition and funding sources reveals a convergence of corporate and far?right interests that underpin its international activities.

Board Composition and Leadership AfriForum’s board includes prominent figures such as CEO Kallie Kriel, board member Ernst van Zyl, and board member Dirk Hermann. These leaders come from sectors such as mining, agriculture, and real estate—industries that have historically favoured conservative policies. For instance, Dirk Hermann’s longstanding associations with networks linked to the old National Party and contemporary conservative formations like the Freedom Front Plus highlight an ideological continuity with exclusionary politics [11]. Their influence not only shapes AfriForum’s public narrative but also provides the strategic guidance necessary for its far?right lobbying efforts.

Key Funders and Financial Backing AfriForum’s financial support is drawn from private donors, corporate sponsors, and historically affluent Afrikaner networks. Many of these funding sources have documented ties to far?right movements, ensuring that AfriForum’s lobbying is underpinned by an agenda aimed at preserving traditional economic and racial privileges [12]. These internal financial linkages help sustain the organisation’s operations and reinforce its ideological stance; even as public statements attempt to downplay such connections.

Historical Parallels: Echoes of Apartheid and Far?Right Ideology

AfriForum’s international outreach and internal support are deeply rooted in historical precedents. During Apartheid, the old National Party forged alliances with far?right groups to secure external legitimacy and maintain white minority dominance [8]. Today, AfriForum’s actions echo those tactics.

The rhetoric deployed by AfriForum—defending property rights and portraying progressive policies as existential threats—mirrors the narratives historically employed by the Ku Klux Klan [9]. Although AfriForum does not explicitly affiliate with the KKK, its ideological underpinnings are strikingly similar: a commitment to an exclusionary vision of society. Kallie Kriel’s efforts to distance the organisation from these associations represent a deliberate whitewashing of its far?right legacy.

Far?Right Networks and International Linkages

AfriForum’s international engagements have consistently placed it within a transnational far?right network. Meetings with U.S. political figures such as John Bolton and staffers from Senator Ted Cruz connect the organisation to influential conservative circles that actively support nationalist policies championed by Donald Trump [1][2]. Additionally, its participation in events like NatCon 4 reinforces these alliances.

Although AfriForum’s engagements in Silicon Valley have been mentioned less prominently, the organisation has on occasion interacted with influential tech and financial figures. These interactions, while secondary, further underscore a strategic effort to harness transnational influence in support of a far?right agenda [6][7].

Moreover, far?right groups in the United States have repeatedly voiced support for hardline policies regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza [10]. While AfriForum has not explicitly endorsed these positions, its association with networks that do support such policies adds another layer to its ideological alignment.

Implications for Nation-Building and Reconciliation

South Africa’s journey toward national reconciliation and inclusive nation-building is fraught with challenges stemming from the legacy of Apartheid. Progressive policies such as land reform and economic redistribution are essential for redressing historical injustices. However, AfriForum’s sustained engagement with far?right networks actively undermines these efforts.

By promoting a narrative that harks back to the “good old days” of Apartheid—defending white minority rights and resisting transformative reforms—AfriForum deepens societal divisions [8][9]. Its internal support, characterized by board members and funders with strong ties to corporate South Africa, reinforces an ideological framework that resists the inclusive vision necessary for true nation-building.

Furthermore, international linkages with far?right networks, including those echoing U.S. hardline policies on Israel and Gaza, risk tarnishing South Africa’s global image and further polarizing domestic political discourse. For South Africa to move forward as a united nation, these far?right influences must be exposed and challenged.

?TrumGate (or AfriTrump) - an opportunity for reflection

Kallie Kriel’s recent press briefing—where he categorically denied any influence on Trump’s policy positions and attempted to obscure AfriForum’s far?right international engagements—is emblematic of a broader strategy of whitewashing. The documented timeline—from the May 2018 outreach through the July 2024 support?raising tour at the National Conservatism Conference to the January 2025 policy advocacy trip—demonstrates that AfriForum has long been embedded in a transnational network of far?right actors. Moreover, an examination of its board members and key funders reveals that the organisation’s internal support is deeply entwined with corporate South Africa and conservative Afrikaner elites, echoing the exclusionary ideologies of the past [11][12].

These connections are not accidental; they are central to an agenda that echoes the segregationist policies of Apartheid and actively undermines contemporary nation-building efforts. By aligning itself with influential figures in conservative circles—from U.S. policymakers to board members with historical far?right ties—AfriForum reinforces an ideological framework that resists progressive reforms and perpetuates division.

For South Africa to achieve genuine reconciliation and build an inclusive future, it is imperative that these far?right influences be exposed and challenged. Both white and black South Africans deserve a society free from the divisive legacies of the past. The time for whitewashing is over; our nation must confront these exclusionary ideologies head?on and dismantle the networks that seek to preserve a racially exclusive status quo. AfriForum and its stakeholders must carefully reflect on their national role and their contribution and engagement with the new South Africa— a nation that is evolving and striving for genuine inclusivity. The adversarial approach that has defined AfriForum’s activities towards our South Africa, reveals irreconcilable sentiments with the democratic ideals of today. The continued reliance on a nostalgic vision of the old order is not only anachronistic, but also an explicit rejection of the progress made since Apartheid.

We must all call on AfriForum’s board members, funders, and supporters to recognize that South Africa is their home too. Rather than rallying behind a divisive past, they have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to contribute constructively to a reconciled, united future. The olive branch of reconciliation is slowly dying; if the narratives of division and exclusion persist, our collective future will be forever undermined.

Dricus du Plessis, a well‐known UFC champion from South Africa, recently attracted attention after being seen wearing a Trump t?shirt at a press event [13]. Critics argue that this public display is emblematic of how some white South Africans, including those affiliated with AfriForum, continue to cling to far?right ideologies. Such behaviour risks triggering an internal “counter fight” that no South African truly wants to participate in—one where clinging to an exclusionary, outdated legacy ultimately undermines efforts toward nation?building and reconciliation. Instead of channelling their energy into constructive engagement for a united future, these displays of defiant nostalgia only serve to widen the divides and further alienate communities already scarred by the past.

?References

1. Vrye Weekblad, “Trump may talk rubbish, but AfriForum helps ensure the fallout is serious,” February 2025.
2. PoliticsWeb, “Support raising tour to the United States – Afrikaner Foundation and AfriForum,” July 2024.
3. PoliticsWeb, “AfriForum’s U.S. outreach and international lobbying, 2018–2024”, accessed 2025.
4. Vrye Weekblad, “AfriForum’s 2025 policy advocacy trip and Trump’s echoing rhetoric”, January 2025.
5. Oosterwyk, R., “Trump, AfriForum and the DA: A far?right Molotov cocktail against South Africa’s transformation efforts,” published on LinkedIn and Muslim Views, February 2025.
6. News24, “AfriForum’s Silicon Valley engagements and far?right connections”, 2024.
7. Dailymaverick, “Elon Musk’s controversial far?right rhetoric and its impact on transnational networks,” 2024.
8. Institute for Security Studies. (2019). "International Lobbying Strategies in Post-Apartheid South Africa", ISS Briefing, July 2019.
9. Mason, J. (2018). "Racial Politics and the Echoes of Apartheid: The Emergence of Modern Far?Right Ideologies in South Africa", African Affairs, 117(468), 605–623.
10. Human Rights Watch. (2023). "Behind Closed Doors: U.S. Far?Right Support for Hardline Israeli Policies", HRW Report, May 2023.
11. Nkosi, T. (2023). "Corporate Interests and the Legacy of Afrikaner Elites: An Analysis of AfriForum’s Board", South African Business Review, Issue 12, 2023.
12. Mthembu, L. (2023). "Funding the Past: Financial Backers of AfriForum and Their Far?Right Connections", Africa Insight, Volume 43, Issue 2, 2023.
13. https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2025-02-07-ufc-champ-dricus-du-plessis-sparks-outrage-with-trump-prefers-champions-t-shirt/#google_vignette

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