ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has hit back at US President Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio after they accused the South African government of persecuting white Afrikaners and announced that the US would boycott the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Trump sparked outrage on Friday after posting on his Truth Social platform that no US officials would be attending the G20.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” Trump said.
It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated
— Donald Trump, US President
Rubio echoed the sentiment on X, claiming: “Afrikaners have been continuously subjected to violent racial discrimination by the South African government. I applaud [Donald Trump’s] decision to not waste taxpayer dollars sending our diplomats to the G20 while this heinous violence continues.”
This comes just two weeks before South Africa is set to host the 2025 G20 Johannesburg Summit on November 22 and 23, marking the first time the event will take place on African soil.
South Africa holds this year’s G20 presidency after last year’s summit in Brazil.
In an interview with eNCA on Sunday, Mbalula dismissed the US leaders’ statements as false and imperialist interference.
“This is a blatant lie. There is no racial discrimination happening in South Africa,” said Mbalula.
“South Africa’s laws seek to redress imbalances created by apartheid, which was declared by the UN as a crime against humanity, particularly against black people. We don’t take kindly to imperialist flirtations,” he said.
Mbalula also doubled down, saying the summit would proceed regardless of the US’ withdrawal.
“Our country must go ahead and the G20 will take place without them. It’s unfortunate that they’ve stirred up things which, in our view as the ANC, borders on imperialism. We are an anti-imperialist organisation,” he said.
He accused Trump of undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and misrepresenting its democratic principles.
“We reject Donald Trump’s assertions and fabrications. Trump’s administration has got no regard for our sovereignty. They think that we are a sub-country of the US, which is very unfortunate on their part.”
Minister of international relations and co-operation Ronald Lamola also pushed back against the US claims labelling them baseless and politically motivated.
“Claims of a ‘white genocide’ or its euphemism, Afrikaner persecution, are imagined and used for political expediency,” said Lamola.
Citing police data Lamola said crime on farms affects both black and white South Africans.
“From April 2020 to March 2024, 225 people were victims of crime on farms in South Africa. Many of the victims, 101 [of which] were current or former farmworkers who are mostly black. Fifty-three of the victims were farmers, mostly white.”
Lamola said South Africa continues to fight crime “in all its manifestations” and will “host a very successful G20”.
Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri also released a statement rejecting Trump’s “ahistorical” characterisation of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group.
“The claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact. Our position on this matter remains consistent with our previous statements,” said Phiri.
Relations between South Africa and the US have soured in recent months after Washington’s criticism of South Africa’s land reform policy and growing ties with Russia.
In January, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act, allowing for expropriation without compensation in limited “just and equitable” cases such as abandoned or underutilised land.
We will host a successful G20 Summit with or without the US. We are a constitutional and democratic state that believes in fair trade relations not in the dominance of superpowers
— Fikile Mbalula, ANC secretary-general
In May, Ramaphosa met Trump at the White House after the US leader accused South Africa of “white farmer genocide”.
By July, Washington had imposed sanctions on several ANC figures, and in August, slapped a 30% tariff on South African exports — a move analysts warned could shave 0.2% off the country’s GDP.
Despite the tensions, South Africa has reaffirmed that preparations for the G20 Summit are on track.
“We will host a successful G20 Summit with or without the US. We are a constitutional and democratic state that believes in fair trade relations not in the dominance of superpowers,” said Mbalula.
Meanwhile Trump has since confirmed that the 2026 G20 Summit will take place in Miami, Florida.
“I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!” he said.
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