Copyright ZeroHedge
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump said on Nov. 7 that no federal government officials will attend Group of 20 summit in South Africa on Nov. 22–23, accusing Pretoria of human rights abuses against white Afrikaners and illegal land seizures. “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!” South Africa’s foreign ministry called Trump’s remarks “regrettable” and said his claims were factually and historically inaccurate. “The characterization of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical,” the ministry said in a Nov. 8 statement. “Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact.” The ministry stated that its focus remains on utilizing the G20 platform to promote global cooperation and share South Africa’s post-apartheid lessons in reconciliation. It noted that its experience in overcoming racial and ethnic divisions makes it “uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity.” Broader Dispute Over Policy and Human Rights Trump’s decision not to send any officials to the G20 builds on his remarks on July 29 that he might skip the summit altogether and “send somebody else” in his place. “I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa,” Trump told reporters at the time. “They have some very bad policies.” The president has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s domestic and foreign policies, including its land expropriation law and its accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza—claims Israel has denied. Since the end of apartheid, South Africa has implemented what it calls affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment programs to address historical inequalities. However, the government has rejected allegations that it seizes land belonging to white citizens or targets specific racial groups. Trump’s decision to boycott the G20 deepens tensions that have been growing since he returned to office in January. Just days after his inauguration, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed legislation allowing for the seizure of farmland without compensation and its redistribution to marginalized groups. More than 70 percent of the country’s farmland is owned by white farmers. In February, Trump issued an executive order in response to what he called a genocide of Afrikaners, saying the law followed “countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.” The South African government has consistently denied those claims, calling them unfounded and politically motivated. Diplomatic Strains Ahead of G20 Transfer South Africa holds the rotating G20 presidency from December 2024 through November 2025, after which the United States will assume the role. Ramaphosa said in May that he expected Trump to attend the summit to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities. “I want to hand over the [G20] presidency to President Trump in November,” Ramaphosa said. “He needs to be there. I don’t want to hand it over to an empty chair. I expect him to be coming to South Africa.” Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a U.S. boycott of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Cape Town. Writing in a post on X on Feb. 5, Rubio criticized South Africa for “expropriating private property” and for using the G20 platform to promote “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” “In other words: DEI and climate change,” Rubio wrote, arguing that it was not in America’s interest to waste taxpayer money or “coddle anti-Americanism.” South Africa’s close relationship with China and its membership in the BRICS bloc—alongside Brazil, Russia, India, and China—have further strained its relations with Washington. Pretoria has maintained a policy of strategic non-alignment in global affairs but has increasingly aligned its rhetoric with Beijing and Moscow on issues ranging from Israel to trade. In February 2023, South Africa conducted a 10-day military drill with China and Russia, an exercise that overlapped with the one-year mark of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
