Saai on hand to assist farmers willing to take up US settlement offer

Saai, a network for family farmers, says it has formed an agreement with several organisations, including Solidarity and AfriForum, to co-ordinate efforts to assist individuals and families wishing to pursue the opportunity to settle in the US as refugees. 

Saai said on Friday there was an explicit invitation by US President Donald Trump to South African farmers, offering them a shortcut to US citizenship if they feel unsafe or persecuted in South Africa. 

“Saai is not in the business of exporting our farmers, nor have we ever been. Through our partnership with Agri All Africa, we likely have more experience than any other organisation in assisting South African, Zimbabwean, and Namibian farmers who have invested in other parts of Africa, as well as in Eastern Europe, Portugal, the UK, New Zealand and Canada. These farmers have either diversified their operations or relocated abroad,” Saai said. 

It said from its experience, between 96% and 97% of the nearly 5,000 farmers with whom it maintained contact had not emigrated but rather expanded their farming businesses into other countries. 

“Every farmer who chooses to leave South Africa for any reason is a loss to both the country and the agricultural sector, and it is our intention to keep that number as low as possible.” 

Saai said based on the enquiries and interest shown over the past two weeks, since Trump first mentioned the possibility of granting refugee status for persecuted farmers, it believes there will be three categories of farmers who may consider taking up this offer:   

• Trauma-stricken families. Saai said these were families who had been victims of farm attacks, farm murders, large-scale theft, looting, invasions and trespassing — both by people and livestock driven onto their land. Many of these families have reached a point where they can no longer guarantee the safety of their loved ones or their farming enterprises.
• Unemployed breadwinners. The organisation said this group included middle-aged white farmers, farm managers and agricultural workers who have been marginalised due to strict BEE policies. Many have exhausted all avenues for employment and income generation, leaving them with no viable future in South Africa, and
• Young aspirant farmers. These are young, white, aspiring farmers who face significant obstacles in accessing land, capital and other resources necessary to establish themselves in the agricultural sector. Saai said given the government’s clear intention to use the draconian new Expropriation Act to alter land ownership demographics, many young farmers see no future for themselves in South Africa.   

Saai said it has secured an agreement with a major US law firm that will provide 100 hours of legal assistance to destitute farmers and families who need help accessing this opportunity. 

“Should the South African government proceed with expropriating farms at zero or below-market compensation, the number of interested families will inevitably increase.

“It is therefore senseless to reject this offer, victimise those considering it or burn bridges to opportunities that these families or individuals do not have in South Africa,” Saai said.

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