U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled he may boycott the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled for November in South Africa, citing concerns over alleged land confiscation and violence against white farmers in the country. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused South Africa of seizing land from white farmers and claimed these actions have escalated into killings of farmers and their families, describing the situation as “genocide.”
“How could we be expected to go to South Africa for the very important G20 Meeting when land confiscation and genocide is the primary topic of conversation?” Trump wrote, adding that the U.S. has withheld all contributions to South Africa amid the dispute. He questioned whether South Africa’s actions align with the values of the G20, stating, “Is this where we want to be for the G20? I don’t think so!”
Trump’s post included video clips of Julius Malema, leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, who has advocated for land occupation and described killing as a “revolutionary act.” The EFF condemned Trump’s comments, accusing him of using the issue to avoid facing his global peers and labeling his tariffs on several countries as “economic genocide.”
Relations between South Africa and the United States have deteriorated under Trump’s administration, with Washington repeatedly accusing Pretoria of anti-white policies. The U.S. has recently cut funding to South Africa and offered refugee status to Afrikaners citing persecution. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson responded to Trump’s threat by saying the country had “no longer expected him to attend in any case.”
Land reform remains a sensitive and complex issue in post-apartheid South Africa, where over 70% of commercial farmland is still owned by the white minority. The South African government denies any widespread land confiscation or genocide, emphasizing that land reform will proceed through constitutional means.
Trump’s stance has drawn criticism from South African officials and international observers who warn that his claims are unsubstantiated and risk inflaming racial tensions ahead of the G20 summit, which South Africa currently chairs. The U.S. is set to assume the G20 presidency next year, making the diplomatic rift particularly significant for global economic cooperation.
