An Afrikaner family wants refugee status in the United States, claiming they will be victims of racism if they return to South Africa, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Their lawyer was trying to get academics in the US to give credence to their claim, according to the newspaper.
They did not want to speak to the newspaper “because of privacy and safety concerns”, said their lawyer Rehim Babaoglu.
A University of Memphis scholar has rejected requests by the “white Afrikaner farmers” to help them in their court application.
“I am not interested in assisting Afrikaners claiming discrimination in a non-racial, democratic, post-apartheid South Africa,” said Professor Mark Behr, who is also a white Afrikaner.
“In my scholarly opinion, there is absolutely no basis for their allegation, whatever evidence they may present.”
He told the newspaper that in his view no other academic would back their claims either. - Sapa