South African President Ramaphosa and US President Trump. (file photo)

The South African government and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday reacted sharply to US President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott the G20 summit in Johannesburg in two weeks. ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula targeted both Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mbalula termed the statements of both American leaders as ‘false’.

Trump announced on Friday that no US officials would attend the summit, which is being hosted by South Africa as it prepares to hand over the annual presidency to the US.

Accused of oppression of white African farmers

Trump has cited the alleged oppression of white African farmers in South Africa as the reason for boycotting the summit. Whereas this allegation has been repeatedly denied by the South African government and white community leaders. Trump had said on his Truth social platform that it is extremely shameful that the G-20 will be held in South Africa. Here African people are being killed and mutilated and their lands and farms are being confiscated illegally. As long as human rights abuses continue, no American government official will be involved.

Supporting Trump’s decision, Rubio said in a statement on Twitter that the South African government continues to subject people to violent racial discrimination. I applaud (Trump’s) decision not to waste taxpayers’ money by sending his diplomats to the G-20 while this heinous violence continues.

efforts to eliminate apartheid

Whereas Mbalula said in an interview on Sunday that this is a white lie. There is no racial discrimination taking place in South Africa. Our laws seek to redress the imbalances created by apartheid, which the United Nations declared a crime against humanity, especially against people of color. We do not tolerate imperialist deceit.

Summit will take place even without America

Mbalula reaffirmed that the summit would continue despite the US not participating. We will host a successful G20 summit with or without the US. We are a constitutional and democratic country that believes in fair trade relations, not dominance by superpowers.

No respect for our sovereignty?

Our country has to move forward, and without the G20 (America). Mbalula said Trump was undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and misrepresenting its democratic principles. We reject Trump’s claims and fabrications. The Trump administration has no respect for our sovereignty. They think we are a sub-country of America, which is very unfortunate on their part.

America’s claims are politically motivated

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said that America’s claims are baseless and politically motivated. He said claims of white genocide or persecution are imaginary and used for political gain. Citing police statistics, he said that crime on farms affects both black and white South Africans.

Lamola said that from April 2020 to March 2024, 225 people became victims of crime on South African farms. Many of these victims, 101 of them (mostly black), were current or former farm workers. 53 victims were farmers, most of whom were white.