Former US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, repeating the widely debunked claim of a so-called “genocide” against white farmers. The move has sparked global criticism and further strained Washington’s relations with Pretoria.
Trump Calls South Africa’s G20 Hosting a ‘Disgrace’
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump condemned the G20 summit’s venue choice, calling it a “total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa.” He claimed that “Afrikaners are being killed and their farms illegally seized,” despite South African authorities and independent experts rejecting these accusations as baseless.
“No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” Trump added, while announcing plans to host the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida.
Tensions Over South Africa’s Land Reform Policy
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced a new land reform law aimed at correcting long-standing racial disparities in land ownership. Over 70% of privately owned land in South Africa remains in the hands of the white minority, decades after apartheid’s end.
The Expropriation Act allows authorities to take land without compensation in exceptional cases, such as when land has been abandoned. Ramaphosa has emphasized that the policy is about fairness and not confiscation. However, Trump has accused Pretoria of “treating certain classes of people very badly” and warned that “the United States won’t stand for it.”
Trump Administration Grants Asylum to White South Africans
Earlier this year, Trump’s administration granted asylum to 59 white South Africans, citing “racial discrimination.” The decision drew criticism for ignoring South Africa’s official data, which shows no evidence of targeted violence against white farmers.
During a meeting with President Ramaphosa in Washington, Trump again brought up claims of a “genocide” — a remark that Ramaphosa refuted, pointing to three prominent white South Africans present at the meeting, including golfer Ernie Els and billionaire Johann Rupert.
Experts Dismiss Trump’s ‘Fantasy Claims’
Historians and analysts have dismissed Trump’s statements as politically motivated. Professor Saul Dubow of the University of Cambridge told Al Jazeera that Trump’s “fantasy claims” lack any factual basis and may be linked to South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over its war in Gaza.
Despite mounting criticism, the Trump administration continues to prioritize white South African refugees, with the latest immigration order allocating most of the US’s limited refugee quota to Afrikaners.
