This content was formerly published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
Due to its policies on land and climate change and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on February 5 that he would not attend a Group of 20 ( G20 ) foreign ministers meeting in South Africa for the duration of this month.
” South Africa is doing pretty bad points. Expropriating personal estate. Using G20 to market’ solidarity, fairness, &, ecology.’ In other words: DEI and environment change”, Rubio , said on X. ” My task is to advance America’s national interests, no spend taxpayer money or indoctrinate anti-Americanism”.
DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and participation, has been attacked by President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House next month. Trump is furthermore sceptical about climate change, and he withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement for the next day last month.
Trump has complained about South Africa’s area legislation, saying that” South Africa is taking land” and “certain classes of people” are being treated “very hard”. In contrast, South African-born businessman Elon Musk, whom Trump has named as his “efficiency czar”, has accused South Africa of having “openly prejudiced rights rules” and suggested white folks were the survivors.
Due to the displacement of land from black people during colonialism and apartheid, the issue of land ownership is socially charged in South Africa.
Last year, South Africa’s leader defended the country’s land scheme, claiming that the state had not confiscated any land and that the policy was intended to promote equitable access to land for the general public.
The recently passed Expropriation Act is not a forfeiture tool; it is a constitutionally mandated legal process that guarantees the public’s right to get in an equal and just manner, according to Ramaphosa .
Ramaphosa spoke with Musk on February 4 to boost worries about “disinformation” being spread by the U. S. leader.
White landowners also possess three-quarters of South Africa’s free land. This contrasts with 4 percentage owned by black people, who make up 80 percent of the population, according to the , 2017 property assessment.
The G20 meet may suffer because the United States won’t be present at the G20. As Trump pushes for politics in the Ukraine conflict, Rubio will miss an opportunity to meet with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian equivalent.
The locations in the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Britain, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States. The African Union and the European Union are both local systems that are members.
