Johannesburg, South Africa – In a sharp escalation of transatlantic tensions, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that no U.S. government officials will attend the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa, accusing the host nation of committing "human rights abuses" against its white Afrikaner minority. The decision, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, marks a full boycott of the November 22-23 gathering in Johannesburg, reversing earlier plans for Vice President JD Vance to represent the United States.
Trump's statement, issued just two weeks before the summit, described the event as a "total disgrace" due to what he called the "killing and slaughter" of Afrikaners – descendants of 17th-century Dutch, French, and German settlers – and the "illegal confiscation" of their farms and land. "Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated," Trump wrote. "No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!"
The remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of South Africa's G20 presidency, which began on December 1, 2024, and is themed "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability." As the first African nation to host the forum for the world's 20 largest economies – representing 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade – South Africa aimed to prioritize the continent's development, climate finance, and debt relief. The summit, budgeted at around R691 million (about $38.7 million USD), was set to convene leaders in Johannesburg's Gauteng province to address pressing issues like inclusive growth and global cooperation, building on prior presidencies by India, Brazil, and Indonesia.
Trump's boycott revives a narrative he has promoted since his first term, when he tweeted in 2018 about investigating "large scale killing of farmers" in South Africa. In his second administration, the claims have intensified, linking to South Africa's Expropriation Act, signed into law on January 23, 2025. The legislation allows for property expropriation without compensation in limited cases, such as unused land or for public interest, as part of efforts to redress apartheid-era inequalities where white South Africans – about 7% of the population – own roughly 70% of commercial farmland.
However, experts and South African officials emphasize that the act has not led to widespread seizures. "No land has been expropriated under this law to date," noted Bulelwa Mabasa, a land reform expert at the University of Pretoria, in a recent analysis. The government has instead focused on voluntary sales and negotiations to accelerate redistribution, which has progressed slowly since 1994 – only about 10% of farmland has been transferred to Black owners. Critics, including Afrikaner advocacy groups like AfriForum, argue the law creates uncertainty and could enable "land grabs" reminiscent of Zimbabwe's chaotic 2000s reforms, where thousands of white farmers were evicted amid violence that also harmed Black workers. Yet, South Africa's Constitutional Court has upheld the act's alignment with the constitution, rejecting challenges from opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus.
Trump's allegations of violence against Afrikaners have similarly been contested. He has described a "genocide" targeting white farmers, a term experts say misapplies the UN definition of genocide as acts intended to destroy a group in whole or part. Official data from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU SA) – an Afrikaner farmers' group – show farm murders are a fraction of the country's overall crime rate. In 2024, South Africa recorded over 26,000 murders nationwide, with just 32 linked to farms, down from 50 in 2023. Of the first quarter 2025 farm killings (January-March), only one victim was a white farm owner; the rest were Black farm workers or owners.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu highlighted in May that "more farm murder victims are African," attributing attacks to robbery rather than racial targeting. Anthony Kaziboni, a senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg, told Al Jazeera there is "no credible evidence" of systematic persecution, noting that farm violence affects all races amid broader rural crime issues. Since 1990, TAU SA records 2,229 total farm murders, including 1,363 white farmers – an average of about 40 per year, far below 1% of national homicides.
South Africa's foreign ministry swiftly condemned Trump's post as "regrettable" and "politically motivated theatre," reiterating that claims of Afrikaner oppression are "completely false" and ahistorical, as Afrikaners include diverse ancestries. President Cyril Ramaphosa, during a May White House visit, dismissed the narrative by pointing to prominent white South Africans like golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johann Rupert, as evidence against any "genocide." No major South African political party, including Afrikaner-representing ones, endorses genocide claims; a court recently ruled them "clearly imagined" in a white supremacist funding case.
The U.S. actions build on earlier measures: In February, Trump issued an executive order halting aid to South Africa and offering refugee status to Afrikaners, resettling 59 by May despite a near-freeze on overall admissions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers' meeting earlier this year over its focus on diversity and climate. Tensions also stem from South Africa's neutral stance on Russia's Ukraine invasion and ties to China, which Trump has criticized as undermining U.S. interests.
On X (formerly Twitter), reactions were polarized. Supporters echoed Trump's post, with users like @zerohedge amplifying the boycott as a stand against "rights abuses." Critics, including @Dr__TSHABALALA, labeled it "fake news," asserting no slaughter or confiscations occur. Accounts like @AfricaViewFacts highlighted the "disgrace" rhetoric, while @TheeLieLamaa called it "diplomatic drama."
The boycott could disrupt G20 dynamics, as the U.S. – the world's largest economy – skips key discussions on trade, inequality, and sustainability. South Africa insists the summit will proceed successfully, with invitations extended to non-members like Egypt and international organizations. Analysts warn it isolates Washington, potentially strengthening BRICS alliances (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) amid global fragmentation.
Trump's Miami pitch for 2026 evokes his 2019 G7 proposal at his Doral resort, criticized for self-interest. As preparations continue in Johannesburg – including the B20 business summit on November 18-20 – the episode underscores how domestic politics, from U.S. refugee policies to South Africa's reform debates, increasingly collide with multilateral forums.
South African civil society groups, meanwhile, view the row as a distraction from real challenges: rural insecurity affects all farmers, and land reform must balance restitution with food security. AgriSA, an industry body, reports murders at two-decade lows, urging dialogue over division. As the world watches, the G20's African debut risks being overshadowed not by policy breakthroughs, but by a clash of narratives on race, rights, and redistribution.
