US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that he will not go the approaching G20 summit in South Africa, citing problems over the government’s laws, including land changes and its “anti-American attitude”.
In a post on X, Rubio said:” I did NOT go the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is engaging in terrible items. Expropriating personal estate. Using G20 to market” solidarity, fairness, &, ecology. ” In other words: DEI and weather change”.
” My task is to enhance America’s national interests, never spend taxpayer money or paraphrase anti-Americanism”, he added.
South Africa is set to sponsor the G20 summit in Johannesburg on 20-21 February. The nation is in charge of the G20 from December 2024 to November 2025.
Trump targets South Africa, Musk doubles down
Rubio’s choice comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump slammed South Africa’s property laws. Earlier this month, Trump said he would split all US money to the region, calling its property reform efforts a “human rights infraction”. His move follows years of claims—mainly from DOGE ( Department of government efficiency ) head Elon Musk—that South Africa’s government is anti-white, a claim that has been widely disproven.
Bad things are taking place in South Africa. The management is doing some bad things, terrible points”, Trump said in a media briefing. ” They’re taking apart area, they’re confiscating land, and really they’re doing stuff that are probably far worse than that”, the 47th senator added.
The recently passed Expropriation Act, which President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law last month, is Trump’s major criticism. In some situations where property is underused or where distribution is in the public interest, the law permits the government to take it. It aims to address hardships from the racism period, during which Black South Africans were forced to leave their homes. Trump has frequently criticized the legislation.
Ramaphosa rejects Trump’s says
Responding to Trump’s notes, Ramaphosa said on Monday that no area had been confiscated and insisted that the US government’s remarks were false. He even expressed his desire to “engage” with the Trump presidency to define the rules. South Africa’s authorities afterwards said that US authorities misunderstood the policy.
Trump, but, doubled down on his place, writing on Truth Social that South Africa was” treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY”. He vowed to block all future US money until further research.
Trump’s attitude on South Africa comes amid his continued business issues, including new tariffs on China and Canada.
