WASHINGTON, Feb 5 – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the upcoming G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa, days after former President Donald Trump threatened to cut financial aid to the country over alleged land expropriation policies.
South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025, is set to host the meeting on February 20-21 in Johannesburg. The event will bring together foreign ministers from the world’s largest economies to discuss global economic and political issues.
The decision follows Trump’s recent claims—made without evidence—that South Africa is seizing land and discriminating against certain groups. Trump vowed to withhold funding until the situation was investigated, reigniting tensions over land reform policies.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed the allegations, stating that no land confiscations have taken place. He described the country’s land reform efforts as part of a broader strategy to ensure fair public access to land, addressing long-standing inequalities rooted in South Africa’s colonial and apartheid past.
Rubio echoed Trump’s stance in a post on X, accusing South Africa of “expropriating private property” and using its G20 platform to advance policies on “solidarity, equality, and sustainability.” He did not provide further details.
South Africa’s foreign ministry pushed back against Rubio’s remarks, stating that its land policy is not arbitrary and is comparable to eminent domain laws in the U.S. The government argues that its recent land reform legislation, signed into law by Ramaphosa last month, aims to correct historical injustices and does not amount to mass dispossession.
The land ownership debate remains a sensitive issue in South Africa. Under colonial and apartheid rule, Black South Africans were forcibly removed from their lands and denied property rights. According to a 2017 land audit, white landowners still hold approximately 75% of the country’s freehold farmland, while Black South Africans—who make up 80% of the population—own just 4%.
Trump has previously criticized South Africa’s land policies. His ally, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, has also claimed without evidence that the country enforces “openly racist ownership laws” that disproportionately target white landowners.
Trump has also opposed DEI programs, taking steps during his administration to dismantle such initiatives across U.S. government institutions. Rights groups argue that DEI programs help address systemic inequalities faced by marginalized communities.
