South Africa has issued a strong rebuke against former President Donald Trump for spreading what it calls "misinformation" after Trump announced he would bar the African nation from attending the G20 summit scheduled for next year at his Doral golf club in Florida.
Trump's Controversial Announcement
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump declared he has prohibited South Africa from participating in the gathering of the world's largest economies, citing unverified claims about the persecution of white farmers. The former president asserted that South Africa's government is systematically targeting white Afrikaner farmers, allegations that South African officials have repeatedly denied.
This isn't the first time Trump has raised these concerns. During an extraordinary White House meeting in May, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa about the alleged attacks, even playing a minutes-long video depicting events in South Africa. "Death, death, death, horrible death," Trump commented during the viewing.
South Africa's Forceful Response
President Ramaphosa's office released an official statement pushing back against what it described as "misinformation and distortions" about their country. The statement expressed regret that despite numerous attempts to reset diplomatic relations with the United States, Trump continues to be "vindictive and seek to apply punitive measures."
South African officials have consistently contested the extremism depicted in the video Trump showed during their meeting. When Trump claimed white farmers were being "executed," Ramaphosa directly countered, stating "they're not."
Broader Policy Implications
The tension reflects broader policy differences that emerged during Trump's administration. While Trump suspended the U.S. refugee program in January, the few refugees admitted since then have been predominantly white South Africans, underscoring how the former president views the issue.
This latest diplomatic clash follows Trump's decision not to send an American government delegation to last weekend's G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Despite this boycott, Trump took offense when South Africa refused to transfer its G20 hosting responsibilities to a senior U.S. Embassy representative after the summit concluded.
In his social media announcement, Trump stated: "Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year." He added that he was halting all payments and subsidies to the country.
South Africa's response highlighted the U.S. decision to send only a local embassy official to the handover ceremony, stating the country "does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms."
