'Refugee' Errol Langton: 'I AM an Afrikaner, farmer'
IT businessman and now 'refugee' Errol Langton has doubled down on his claims that he is both an Afrikaner and a farmer. He's also shed light on the circumstances that led him to leave South Africa last month.
Langton came under fire after his step-daughter branded him an 'opportunist' in a TikTok video.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order, fast-tracking refugee status to white South Africans – or 'minorities' – over his claims of 'racial discrimination' in SA.
Last month, Errol Langton made headlines as one of the 49 white South Africans who arrived in the US as 'Afrikaner refugees'.
However, many South Africans – including his stepdaughter – questioned his claims of being a 'farmer' and even an 'Afrikaner'. Some also called him 'opportunistic' for wanting to start again in another country, and in particular, a state – Alabama – where his own relatives immigrated to years ago.
While Errol told the New York Times that he was a 'leafy greens' farmer from KwaZulu-Natal, his LinkedIn account lists his experience in the IT sector, where he owned a large business. South African refugee Errol Langton. Images via eNCA/ Facebook
Speaking to eNCA's Annika Larson last week, Errol rubbished reports that the group of 'refugees' consisted of white South African farmers.
He said: 'That was never the mandate. It was minorities that were suffering persecution'.
Of his own identity, he said: 'Yes, I'm an Afrikaner, yes, I'm a farmer. But by everybody else's decision? Maybe not so much'
He claims that both being a victim of violent crime and struggling to find work led him to apply for the refugee resettlement programme.
'Being a white South African, BEE laws definitely compounded that issue', he added.
During his interview, Errol Langton also claimed that the refugee resettlement programme simply fast-tracked his plans, and he had wanted to leave South Africa in recent years.
He continued, 'This was just a much simpler way of going through that process. We ticked all the boxes required for refugee status. I've been looking for opportunities for my kids for a while. It was just the right thing at the right time.'
Of the refugees being called 'cowards' by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Errol added: 'If it means that my family is taken care of, I will wear that badge with honour'.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 .
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
DA withdraws from National Dialogue, will vote against budgets of ‘corruption accused' ANC ministers
The DA will oppose the budget votes of 'corruption accused ANC ministers' – including Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. The DA is not leaving the Government of National Unity (GNU), but it will not participate in the looming National Dialogue, following the axing of its Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Andrew Whitfield. 'Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue,' DA leader John Steenhuisen said at a press conference in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June. 'Effective immediately, the DA will therefore have no further part in this process. 'We will also actively mobilise against it to stop this obscene waste of R740-million – starting with a call on civil society to join us in demanding that the National Dialogue not proceed until President [Cyril] Ramaphosa fires ANC corruption accused and other delinquents from the executive,' Steenhuisen continued. Earlier this month, Ramaphosa announced the appointment of 31 prominent South Africans to lead the National Dialogue expected to take place on 15 August this year. The initiative – meant to tackle a wide range of South Africa's pressing issues including unemployment, poor governance and gender-based violence – was met with immediate opposition owing largely to its R740-million price tag. Steenhuisen announced the decision of the DA's Federal Executive (FedEx) after Ramaphosa removed Whitfield from his position on Wednesday, 25 June, providing no reason for his dismissal. Whitfield's removal, it later emerged, was apparently due to an 'unauthorised' trip he took to the US for the DA in February this year. On Thursday, Steenhuisen gave the president an ' ultimatum ' to clean house of the ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours or face 'grave consequences'. He accused Ramaphosa of a 'flagrant double standard' and had specifically called on him to remove Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane and Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo from his Executive. The political developments surrounding South Africa's fragile coalition government, caused Ramaphosa to cancel his trip to Seville, Spain, on 30 June, to attend a conference on financing for development. He instead delegated International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to attend. 'President Ramaphosa has delegated Minister Lamola as the Head of Delegation for the Summit following recent political developments that require close monitoring and management in the country,' his office said in a statement on Saturday. According to a Sunday Times report earlier on Saturday, the DA was said to be considering leaving the GNU. In response to questions from reporters on why the party has decided to remain in the coalition government, Steenhuisen said the DA did not believe that it was 'in the interest of South Africa for the current GNU to collapse'. He said that if the GNU were to break, it would cause 'significant economic damage' to the country. Steenhuisen said the country 'benefits' from having the DA in the GNU. 'A more impactful way would not have been to leave the Government of National Unity, because that would've opened South Africa up to the coalition of chaos and destruction, and would have led very clearly to more disastrous consequences for South Africa,' he said. Steenhuisen threw the ball back into Ramaphosa's court, saying it was up to the ANC whether they wanted to kick the DA out of the national coalition. 'The ball is in the President's court and the ANC's court – if they want to take a strong stance against us and want to stop us [from] standing against corruption, well, they must fire us from the Government of National Unity,' he said. DA to vote against budget votes In addition to mobilising against the National Dialogue, Steenhuisen said the DA would also be voting against the individual budget votes for Simelane and Nkabane's departments. ' A second, critically important step that the DA is taking, is to vote against upcoming departmental budget votes for the departments headed by Simelane, Nkabane, and other corruption accused ANC ministers. 'We will keep voting against those departmental votes until those ministers are removed. 'In this way, the DA will strike the appropriate balance by allowing the broader GNU budget process to proceed to ensure the stability of the country, while forcing the ANC to act against specific ministers. 'If the ANC wants our support for those departmental budgets, they must replace the incumbent ministers with alternatives that meet the very standard the President has set for himself through Whitfield's axing,' said Steenhuisen. He said that the ministers in those portfolios would need to source other ways of getting their budgets passed in Parliament. 'We won't be voting against the globular budget and, I think, that is a result of the fact that we want to ensure that delivery proceeds for the people of South Africa. But those individual budget votes where ministers are severely compromised and sitting at the top of those departments, will obviously have to find other ways to get those budgets passed,' he said. Steenhuisen added that the party's Federal Executive had also considered tabling a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa. However, he said the DA understood the concerns of many South Africans if Ramaphosa were removed as President. 'While the FedEx decided not to table a Motion of No Confidence at this stage, it is clear that the DA is in the process of losing confidence in his ability to act as a leader not of the ANC, but of the GNU of which we are the second-largest component,' said Steenhuisen. 'If the ANC fails to course-correct, the FedEx will seriously consider exercising our constitutional prerogative by tabling a motion of no confidence.' He mentioned, on several occasions, that the GNU Statement of Intent had been undermined by Ramaphosa and the ANC. 'I think the intent of the Statement of Intent is correct, but it would be great if that was being honored. It is being repeatedly violated. It says a lot about where we're at that a year later, we still have a conflict resolution mechanism; that the Clearing House in the GNU has no terms of reference,' he said. Steenhuisen said that Ramaphosa had not afforded him the opportunity to inform Whitfield himself about what was expected to happen before he received a letter from Ramaphosa alerting him of his removal. 'That is not respectful and that is not right,' he said, suggesting that certain clauses relating to consultation and consensus in the Statement of Intent were violated. 'The Statement of Intent needs to be respected in both letter and spirit,' he said. A replacement for Whitfield Steenhuisen did not provide any names for Whitfield's replacement, saying that the decision was with the party's FedEx. 'We will be submitting a replacement name, and that will obviously be a matter for our Federal Executive to take through the process. It is a DA position, and once again, the fact that we got six ministers and six deputy ministers, is also another example of how we put South Africa first. We, proportionately, are entitled to a lot more than that, and yet it is another matter we had to swallow at that particular time to make sure we got a GNU that worked,' he said. DM
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
'Chiefs pay a lot of money for players, sir'
Kaizer Chiefs' marketing director, Jessica Motaung, has dismissed claims that the club is unwilling to invest in players. In recent years, Amakhosi has often refrained from making significant expenditures and has, at times, signed free agents. The club has been linked to players like Percy Tau and Sipho Mbule, who have both previously left their respective clubs. During the launch of the Toyota Cup, Motaung emphasised that the club is prepared to spend money on acquiring players. 'Chiefs pay a lot of money, sir. So, I'm actually quite surprised, so I think it is absolute nonsense. If I look at our budgets and I look at the investments we are making into players and the transfer space,' she said. Motaung hinted that some clubs were unfair in terms of pricing their players, making it difficult for Chiefs and other big teams. 'I also think the South African market needs to evaluate itself. Are the negotiations fair? Are the prices people are asking for players fair? We have to look at our industry but we have certainly made sure and you can see from our investments in the last season. Not only in the players but in the technical team,' she said. Amakhosi are yet to announce any signings; however, they have already parted ways with five players. Next month, the team will travel to the Netherlands, where they will have their pre-season camp. Motaung confirmed that Chiefs will announce new players in the coming weeks. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
5 hours ago
- The South African
Steenhuisen stuns Mzansi with DA's decision on GNU
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says the party will remain in the Government of National Unity (GNU) despite the axing of Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Andrew Whitfield. However, the DA's Federal Executive has resolved to withdraw from the National Dialogue with immediate effect. In a media briefing, Steenhuisen accused the African National Congress (ANC) of displaying double standards and abusing its power. He warned that the DA's withdrawal from the GNU would have disastrous consequences for the country. Steenhuisen stated that DA members of the executive have remained focused on delivering for South Africans. However, he slammed Ramaphosa for not doing the same. 'Instead of upholding the wishes of the people by working in a respectful and collaborative manner with all partners in the GNU, the ANC has repeatedly undermined these principles. Time and again, it has slapped away the hand of substantive cooperation and co-creation in favour of arrogant and narrow political self-interest,' said Steenhuisen. Steenhuisen also criticised Ramaphosa for ignoring a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the DA following Whitfield's dismissal, calling on him to act against corruption within the ANC. 'If the ANC does not urgently change the way it engages with its coalition partners so that we can fight corruption and start growing the economy, then they imperil the future of the country and its people,' he warned. He emphasised that the DA has acted in the best interests of South Africa since the formation of the GNU, and called on Ramaphosa and the ANC to do the same. Many South Africans took to social media to express their disappointment with the DA's announcement. On X, several users shared that they had expected the party to withdraw entirely from the GNU. Others also questioned the DA's credibility and whether its actions matched its rhetoric. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DA'S DECISION TO REMAIN IN THE GNU? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
