'They're taking the land of white farmers and killing them': Trump threatens no-show at G20 in SA

12 April 2025 - 17:35 By Rethabile Radebe
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US President Donald Trump. says he might not attend the G20 Summit in South Africa File photo.
US President Donald Trump. says he might not attend the G20 Summit in South Africa File photo.
Image: REUTERS/Nathan Howard

US President Donald Trump has threatened to be a no-show for the G20 Leaders' Summit set to take place in South Africa later this year. 

In yet another attack on the South African government Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, expressing his reservations about attending the summit, citing “land confiscation and genocide” as his reasons for not coming to the country.

“How could we be expected to go to South Africa for the very important G20 meeting when land confiscation and genocide are the primary topics of conversation?

“They are taking the land of white farmers, and then killing them and their families. The media refuses to report on this. The US has held back all contributions to South Africa. Is this where we want to be for the G20? I don’t think so.”

Relations between South Africa and the US were strained after South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide against the people of Palestine.

South Africa's stance on the war between Ukraine and Russia has also caused tensions between the two countries, but South Africa had not been on the receiving end of long-lasting consequences until Trump took over from his predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump announced he would withdraw the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding to South Africa, slashing South Africa’s reported $2.3bn (R42.38bn) annual response to Aids budget by about 17%.

South Africa again found itself in the red with Washington DC after the signing into law of the contentious Expropriation Bill, that saw Afrikaner interest group AfriForum and Solidarity members seeking help from Trump’s administration,, saying genocide was being committed against white South Africans and illegal invasions and seizures of their land were taking place.

The US has since offered white Afrikaners in South Africa refugee status.

TimesLIVE


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