Trump Threatens G20 Boycott Over Alleged ‘Genocide’ of White Afrikaners in South Africa
Mulaudzi Ndivhuwo
United States President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning that he may boycott the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled to take place in South Africa this November. This comes amid escalating concerns voiced by Trump regarding what he describes as a "genocide of white Afrikaners" in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing at the White House on Monday, Trump expressed frustration over what he claims is a pattern of violence targeting white farmers in South Africa. He sharply criticized the South African government and mainstream media for allegedly ignoring the issue.
“South African leadership is coming to see me, I understand, sometime next week, and we are supposed to have a G20 meeting there or something. I don’t know how we can go unless that situation is taken care of,” Trump said.
The U.S. President's comments follow his administration’s move to welcome 49 Afrikaners who fled South Africa and sought refugee status in the United States. Trump said the U.S. government has granted these individuals a pathway to citizenship, citing ongoing violence and land seizures in their home country.
“White farmers are being brutally killed and their land is being confiscated in South Africa,” Trump claimed. “The newspapers and the media and television media don't even talk about it. If it were the other way around, they'd talk about it; that would be the only story they'd talk about.”
Trump emphasized that his concern is not based on race but on what he believes to be a humanitarian crisis. “I don't care who they are. I don't care about their race or their colour. I don't care about their height, their weight. I just know that what's happening is terrible,” he said.
The President further stated that people he knows in South Africa have confirmed a dire situation on the ground, which he believes warrants international attention and intervention.
Despite the U.S. President’s harsh rhetoric, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded diplomatically. Ramaphosa indicated his willingness to meet with Trump to address the growing tensions between the two nations and clarify the realities on the ground.
The issue of farm attacks and land reform in South Africa has long been a controversial and emotionally charged subject. While some reports highlight violence against farmers, including white farmers, others point to a broader context of rural crime affecting all races in the country.
As global attention turns to the G20 Summit, Trump’s threat to withdraw over this issue marks a significant diplomatic flashpoint. Whether or not the meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump will ease tensions remains to be seen.
