Orania Sends Delegation To Us Seeking Recognition And Help To Become Autonomous

Orania , a whites-only town in South Africas Northern Cape province, sent a delegation to the United States US last week seeking recognition and assistance to become an autonomous state, Reuters reports .

Its leader Joost Strydom also shared photos and updates of the visit on his Facebook page .

We wanted to gain recognition, with the American focus on South Africa now, Strydom told Reuters , adding that South Africa is such a diverse country that its not a good idea to try and manage it centrally.

The delegation reportedly met influencers, think-tanks and low-ranking Republican politicians. However, Strydom refused to say whether they met officials from US President Donald Trumps administration.

In a reply to an X post by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in late March, Strydom stated Oranias vision.

Afrikaners need a national home of our own. Its the only long-term solution. Orania is already building it. Help us with recognition of a place, so we can create a future for our people! he wrote.

In a Facebook update, he revealed that former AfriForum deputy chief executive officer Ernst Roets joined Orania Movements delegation in the US as an advisor and facilitator. Roets was also head of policy at the Solidarity Movement until he resigned in February.

AfriForum and Solidarity also sent a delegation to the US in February where they claimed to have met White House representatives.

Orania was established in 1991 by a group of Afrikaners who sought to preserve their culture. The land on which it sits is owned by a company called Vluytjeskraal Aandeleblok Vluytjeskraal Share Block.

Its population is estimated at 3,000. People who wish to live there have to buy shares in Vluytjeskraal Aandeleblok, which allows for screening and imposition of tight controls.