Ernst Roets’ Lex Libertas is aiming to take a petition to the US, with Dirco urging South Africans to handle their disputes domestically.
A think tank representing minorities in South Africa has cemented its partnership with a United States (US) lobby group.
Ernst Roets’ Lex Libertas and the New York Young Republicans Club (NYYRC) on Friday launched a programme to raise international awareness around the plight of Afrikaners.
Lex Libertas join AfriForum and Solidarity in publicly courting international sympathisers, actions the South African government and sections of society have deemed inflammatory.
NYYRC members were in South Africa this week, touring Afrikaner monuments and speaking to victims of farm attacks and business people claiming to be marginalised by government policy.
Lex Libertas campaign with NYYRC
In a joint statement on Friday, Lex Libertas and the NYCC outlined their plans for forthcoming engagements.
The organisations plan to work together with the goal of establishing a dedicated channel of communication between South African minorities and the US.
“The first component is the launch of an international petition calling on the United States to appoint a special envoy dedicated to engaging with the Afrikaner community and other cultural minorities in South Africa, and to recognise the pursuit of self-governance as a legitimate and peaceful solution,” they stated.
Once the petition reaches 100 000 signatories, the groups will submit it to the US President and the US State Department.
A future engagement will include a public vigil on Washington D.C’s National Mall featuring 3 000 white crosses to symbolise the victims of farm attacks.
Additionally, Roets wishes to host a conference in the US capital that would allow the “victims of farm attacks, racial exclusion, and state failure” to share their stories.
“A formal request will be submitted to the U.S. Congress to convene a public hearing on South Africa and structural policy solutions,” the statement read.
SA ‘not a foreign protectorate’
Minority lobby groups seeking special recognition from foreign governments has drawn sharp criticism from government and many sections of society.
US and South African relations in 2025 featured several verbal jabs thrown by the administrations of both countries.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) responded to yesterday’s statement by saying domestic issues should be handled within existing frameworks.
“South Africa is a sovereign Republic, not a foreign protectorate. The Afrikaner identity is diverse and multi-ethnic, not a narrow racial group requiring foreign referees.
“Our Constitution and independent institutions serve all South Africans, regardless of race, religion, gender or ethnicity. We can solve South African challenges with South African hands, without a foreign crutch,” Dirco spokesperson Crispin Phiri told The Citizen.
However, Roets said they will remain steadfast in highlighting what he believes is a disproportionate targeting of minorities in South Africa, regardless of government or public opinion.
“Our resolve to address this crisis outweighs our desire to not be accused of being inflammatory by people who do not share our commitment to fixing the problem,” Roest told The Citizen.
‘Deep civilizational ties to the West’
President of the NYYRC Stefano Forte was a guest of Lex Libertas’ this week and supports Roets’ stance, urging the US to assist – over and above the existing asylum programme.
“We have found that Afrikaners and other ethnic minorities are facing serious insecurity and growing hostility with little protection from their own government.
“These are a people with deep civilizational ties to the West, and their situation demands the attention of the American government,” stated Forte.
Roets said the establishment of a special envoy position would allow for a first-hand assessment of the situation without, what he believes, are systemic biases.
“The purpose of a special envoy would be to shed light on a very real crisis in South Africa, largely as a result of the fact that commentators and media outlets, who value narrative over grassroots realities, have created a distortion about what is truly happening in South Africa, in the sense that there are a lot of people who are trying to deny the real extent of the crisis,” Roets concluded.
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