'I am an Afrikaner', with Adriaan Basson

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Whatever you’d like to call them; the “49ers”, the “Amerikaners”, the “Afrikaner refugees”, they’ve officially discarded Madiba’s Rainbow Flag for Eisenhower’s Stars and Stripes. Their departure, facilitated by the Trump administration, has generated intense debate over the Afrikaners’ place in this world. But for News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson, two things have never been more crystal clear. One is that he’s certain of his heritage: “I consider myself an Afrikaner. I identify as an Afrikaner. Firstly, I’m a South African,” says Basson. And two is that he’s not a refugee. “We can discuss ultimately what led to these Afrikaners leaving South Africa now but Afrikaners are not refugees, Afrikaners belong in South Africa, this is our home, this where we’re from,” adds Basson. You can listen to the full 24-minute conversation by simply clicking on any of the links displayed here. You can read Basson’s opinion piece here. Later in the show, host Graeme Raubenheimer reveals that the US Episcopal Church refuses to resettle the “Amerikaners”. And finally, in true Mzansi style, our comedians teach the world a lesson or two about load shedding.Mail your comments and voice notes to thelead@24.com. Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.  
Chapters
  • 00:01 Graeme's intro
  • 01:55 Interview with Adriaan Basson
  • 25:32 Trending topic: US church refuses Amerikaner resettlement
  • 26:48 And finally: Global load shedding advice
  • 28:10 Graeme's outro
13 May 2025 English South Africa News · Society & Culture

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