I Couldn’t Stay”: Free State Farmer Flees SA After Four Farm Attacks

“I Can’t Live in Fear Anymore”: Free State Farmer Flees SA After Multiple Farm Attacks

A Free State farmer has revealed her heartbreaking decision to leave South Africa after surviving multiple violent farm attacks, joining a group of Afrikaners who accepted a U.S. refugee resettlement offer.

Thea van Straten, who owned a guesthouse and cattle farm, shared her story in an emotional May 2025 interview, explaining that four attacks in two years left her no choice but to abandon her property.

“We are just the backlash,” she said, referencing ongoing blame for apartheid-era policies. “It ended 31 years ago. How long must we pay?”

Now in the U.S. with 45 other Afrikaners under a program criticized by the South African government, Van Straten is selling her farm, taking only savings and suitcases to rebuild.

Government Denies Persecution Claims

South African officials, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, reject claims of Afrikaner persecution, inviting former U.S. President Trump to visit and “see there’s no genocide here.”

Mixed Reactions Online

While some social media users empathized—“What if you were attacked repeatedly?” asked @KeithStuartMilne—others questioned the narrative. @ChantalGovender noted farm attacks are widely reported, while @ConniesLallo joked: “Has anybody checked if the farm is okay now that it’s home alone?”

Source: Briefly News