Col (Ret.) Chris Wyatt: SA “refugees” in America “under a lot of pressure”

The 59 (not 49) Afrikaner “refugees” that arrived in America earlier this week are under “a lot of pressure”. So says US intelligence analyst (Retired) Colonel Chris Wyatt who is in regular contact with some of them. “They are located in multiple States around the country right now. I will not disclose their locations because of the reprehensible conduct of some media in South Africa and the United States and the social media doxing that's going on, people committing POPI violations and other criminal actions. But what I can tell you is that they're under a lot of pressure. And if they're smart, they're staying off social media because people are trying to expose their families back here and put them in physical harm or jeopardy.” As for the allegation that at least one of the refugees exaggerated threats, Col Wyatt says: “The United States government does investigations into refugees….they get vetted very seriously. So if any of these people have defrauded the US government, they will be sent back.” He also hits back at the African National Congress (ANC) for rejecting claims of ethnic victimisation, and calling it “a cowardly political construct” instead. “People have a real fear. And the government dismissing their concerns is repulsive.”.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here:.Listen here:.Edited transcript of the interview. Chris Steyn (00:01.76)Afrikaners immigrating to America has become a growing international political drama. We speak to US intelligence analyst, Colonel Chris Wyatt. Welcome, Colonel. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (00:15.055)Chris, thanks a lot. Wow, what a busy week for a lot of people and a lot of misinformation, disinformation and outright lies. Maybe we can get to some of that this afternoon. Chris Steyn (00:26.762)Well, you have been speaking to people on both sides. Give us the low down. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (00:30.639)Well, indeed I have. I have been speaking to people on both sides, excuse me. Also in contact with refugees. Let me point something out for this first cohort or first proof-of-concept group of refugees. Most of the media are getting it wrong. It was 59, not 49. I don't know where they get their numbers from. At least Al Jazeera and Megyn Kelly got it correct. It's 59 and one State Department representative were on the flight. They are located in multiple States around the country right now. I will not disclose their locations because the reprehensible conduct of some media in South Africa and the United States and the social media doxing that's going on, people committing POPI violations and other criminal actions. But what I can tell you is that they're under a lot of pressure. And if they're smart, they're staying off social media because people are trying to expose their families back here and put them in physical harm or jeopardy. But there are no FEMA tents. I'll confirm that. And for those who are interested, Sunday at 8 p.m. South Africa time, the first Afrikaner refugee to arrive in America and you saw her come out.… She will be a guest of my programme Sunday at 8 p.m. South Africa time. That's 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. And we're going to talk about what's happened so far with her arrival, how she's been greeted, the relocation agents have been involved and all the other things taking place. She's not in a FEMA tent. She's in a comfortable apartment, refrigerator stocked, the cupboard stock, the relocation agents have visited at least four or five times the past couple of days. I'm in daily multiple times contact with her on her US SIM number, which someone leaked to the media. And so she's turned it off. And so you can't reach her that way. What's happening here, Chris, is shameful and disgraceful. If people tell these people to leave, then they leave, and then they complain that they leave and call them liars. You know what? I think people have just a bit of envy and they should just stop. They've left for a reason. And if you wanted them to leave, now they're gone. So just let them be. Chris Steyn (02:18.368)Well, the African National Congress has once again rejected claims of ethnic victimization, Colonel, calling it a cowardly political construct. What would you say to that? Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (02:29.582)Well, I would ask, Chris, would ask, was it cowardly of the ANC to flee to East Germany, to Cuba, to the Soviet Union, to China, to Tanzania, to Zambia as cowards during the liberation struggle? I don't think so. No one called them cowards. People called them brave. When they went to United States and lobbied the U.S. government for sanctions against the apartheid regime in London, no one said they were treasonous. Why is Cyril Ramahosa and the government of South Africa tarnishing the reputation of people who see no hope? When you have been nearly murdered several times because your skin colour, you know, you're looking for a way to escape that. They're not cowards. These are courageous people. And it's shameful for anyone to say anything to the contrary. And it makes you ask the question, Chris, why? What is the motivation for tarnishing these people? What is the motivation for calling them cowards? What exactly is somebody who has 8 series BMWs, bodyguards, ballistic glass, armoured cars, has hundreds of millions of dollars, lives in gated communities, know about cowardice and courage? Never served in uniform. I reject that argument. I reject it wholeheartedly. Chris Steyn (03:30.4)Well, Deputy President Paul Mashatile has invited US President Donald Trump to come to South Africa and see the reality for himself. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (03:41.88)Well, that's a brilliant plan. think that Deputy President Paul Mashatile is onto something. But instead of showing him Sandton and Camps Bay and Yzerfontein, I'll take him to the Free State and to Mpumalanga and to Kayelitsha and to Alexandra and to places where people suffer, black, white and brown in this country. So I'm all for it. President Trump should come here and visit. I think Paul Mashatile should show him around. And when he's finished, I volunteer to give him a tour of my own. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (04:12.183)I think we're stuck on that one..BN Briefing: Cyril on the 49 Afrikaner “Refugees”; Gayton: Foreigners must be expelled immediately.Chris Steyn (04:12.394)Do you think... Colonel, disinformation, the word disinformation, I believe, will be on the agenda when President Cyril Ramaphosa visits President Trump. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (04:27.819)Well, I think so, but let's be clear about what disinformation is. Disinformation comes from official sources. Misinformation comes from individuals. Disinformation comes from official sources. So if the government wants to start with disinformation, they're going to have to point the finger at themselves because that's where it comes from official sources. Misinformation comes from individuals. If you want to stop misinformation, that's a fair point to make. There is plenty of misinformation on this, Chris, on both sides of the aisle. People misleading people on both sides of the aisle. It takes someone who's objective and tries to sit in the middle and objectively analyse these events to be honest about this. That's where I try to sit on the spectrum. I'm centre right, people know that, I'm honest about that, but I'm also objective. I mean, I've had a politician in this country threaten me, and I'm still treating that politician fairly despite the threats, you know, because I don't really care about that. My objective here is to bring people the news and analyse this best I can. But we're gonna hear a lot of this stuff. Why are there 140 plus laws that racially discriminated against ethnic minorities? Why is there racial hatred? Why can Julius Malema be told that singing Kill the Boer's hate speech by the court in 2003 and then in 2025, it's okay to sing such vile, repulsive songs? It's pretty scary what's happening. Chris, I just came from a place where I was getting some physical therapy treatment for my leg and a lady who served cappuccino nearby afterwards asked me about the refugee programme. And she just started breaking down and crying in tears. And I said, ma'am, why are you crying? I haven't threatened you. I have frightened you. She's terrified. And this is in Somerset West, not in Khayelitsha, Alexandria, not in the Free State, not in the Mpumalanga. People have a real fear. And the government dismissing their concerns is repulsive. Chris Steyn (06:16.308)Colonel, we have received at least one allegation that at least one refugee has exaggerated threats. And there is concern in a community that this could lead to racial tension in a place where it has been peaceful. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (06:36.252)Yes, I'm aware of this and I'm actually in touch with some people who are making the allegations. And my point to the person without doxing where this is coming from is that the person, the refugee in question has never mentioned where the refugee came from, other than the province, never mentioned the community, never mentioned anybody's names. So how is it possibly going to harm or injure anybody because they haven't made it public unless they're being doxed? So I'm aware of that, but here's the bottom line with that. The United States government does investigations into refugees. They're vetted more closely than anybody except for people holding a security clearance like myself when I was with the US government. We get serious. I mean, I had to do polygraphs because of stuff I did. That's not a pleasant experience, a polygraph, even if you're innocent as the driven snow. But they get vetted very seriously. So if any of these people have defrauded the US government, they will be sent back. They will be sent back. It's as simple as that. Why are people so concerned about this? I appreciate where the comment coming how it affects the community. But if this person is a person prone to exaggeration, which has been implied, then people in that community would know that and they wouldn't take what's being said seriously, black, white and brown. So I appreciate the concerns, but here's the bottom line. That person is in America and the rest of the people aren't. So they're gone. I don't know what the issue is. People need to just take responsibility for their own actions. And if in fact that person exaggerated and the US government investigates that, then that will be that person's issue, not that community's. Chris Steyn (08:05.748)Thank you, Colonel. That was US intelligence analyst Colonel Chris Wyatt giving BizNews as an update on the Afrikaner immigration that's begun to America. Thank you, Colonel. And I'm Chris Steyn. Col (Ret) Chris Wyatt (08:18.523)You're welcome, Chris. Have a lovely day.

Col (Ret.) Chris Wyatt: SA “refugees” in America “under a lot of pressure”

Related Stories

Vigilantes, police and politicians: The unholy alliance turning SA's anti-immigrant violence into a growth industry

Jacques Broodryk - AfriForum goes after the elusive Guptas…

(Ret) Col Chris Wyatt - Ramaphosa’s "Watergate", Trump’s ceasefire “farce” - and racist abuse of SA refugees…

(Ret.) Col Chris Wyatt: War news, fuel price hike — and the ANC facing its worst ever election