President Donald Trump announced that the United States will not send any government officials to the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled to take place in South Africa later this month. Trump justified the boycott by repeating allegations that white Afrikaners in South Africa are victims of widespread human rights violations — claims that South Africa has repeatedly rejected.
In a statement posted on Truth Social on Friday, Trump described South Africa’s hosting of the G20 as “a total disgrace,” accusing the government of allowing “killing and land seizures” against Afrikaners — a minority descended mainly from Dutch, German and French settlers. He also reaffirmed that no U.S. representative will participate in the summit unless what he described as “human rights abuses” end. Trump again promised that the 2026 G20 would be held in Miami, Florida.
A source familiar with White House planning confirmed that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance — who had previously been expected to represent Washington at the Nov. 22–23 meeting in Johannesburg — has now cancelled his intended travel.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations responded by calling the U.S. position “regrettable” and emphasized that the narrative being spread about Afrikaners facing state-supported persecution is not based on verified evidence. The ministry noted that South Africa has a long history of confronting racial injustice, and argued that the G20 is exactly the type of global platform needed to address divisions and build cooperation. Pretoria also stated it remains committed to successfully hosting the summit.
This latest clash adds to ongoing tensions between Trump’s administration and South Africa over issues such as land reform policies and South Africa’s legal action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza — a case the U.S. strongly opposes.
This is not the first time U.S. officials have withdrawn from South African G20-related engagements. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Cape Town. South Africa currently holds the G20 presidency from December 2024 until November 2025, after which the United States will assume leadership of the international forum.
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Source:Africa Publicity
