Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 30th July 2025, 6:28 PM
US President Donald Trump has announced he is unlikely to attend the upcoming G20 summit scheduled for November in South Africa, citing controversial and widely discredited claims about the treatment of white citizens in the country.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump remarked:
“No, I think maybe I’ll send somebody else, because I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies… A lot of people are being killed. So I think I probably won’t. I’d like to, but I don’t think I will.”
Trump’s remarks appear to revisit assertions he has previously made, which claim that white South Africans are being systematically persecuted — a narrative promoted early in his second term and amplified by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa.
Background on US–South Africa Tensions
Tensions between Washington and Pretoria escalated significantly during Trump’s presidency, particularly surrounding land reform policies in South Africa. In January, South Africa enacted a land expropriation law aimed at addressing entrenched racial inequalities left by the apartheid regime, under which the white minority held disproportionate land ownership.
| Policy | Details |
| Land Expropriation Law | Passed in January to redistribute land equitably post-apartheid. |
| US Position | Highly critical; views the law as a threat to property rights. |
| South African Response | President Ramaphosa denies any arbitrary confiscation of white-owned land. |
President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected suggestions that the legislation will result in unjust seizures, labelling such claims as misleading and politically charged.
A Diplomatic Flashpoint
In a widely criticised move during a White House meeting in May, Trump reportedly ambushed Ramaphosa by presenting a video — with journalists present — that he claimed documented a “genocide” against the white minority in South Africa.
This controversial stance was further reinforced by the Trump administration’s policy of offering refuge to South Africa’s Afrikaner minority and the imposition of 30% tariffs on South African imports, effective from 1 August.
| Measures by Trump Administration | Description |
| Afrikaner Refugee Status | Claims of persecution used to justify asylum for white South Africans. |
| Trade Tariffs | 30% tariffs imposed starting 1 August. |
Diplomatic Fallout Continues
The diplomatic rift has extended beyond the presidency. Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio opted to boycott the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting held in Johannesburg — a move interpreted by analysts as a deliberate snub to South African leadership.
As the G20 summit approaches, Trump’s decision to skip the event marks another chapter in the growing distance between the US and South Africa under his administration. The choice of whether a high-ranking US delegate will attend in his place remains unclear.
Comments