US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said he will not attend the G-20 summit in South Africa on February 20-21, accusing the host government of an “anti-American” agenda.
“I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism,” Rubio said in a post on X.
Rubio’s announcement comes two days after US President Donald Trump hit out at South Africa over land reforms aimed at redressing inequalities perpetrated during the apartheid era.
Trump pledged to stop all future funds to South Africa
Trump pledged to stop all future funding on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, saying,“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.”
In South Africa, Trump wrote, a ”massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see,” without giving details or providing evidence.
DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion, has been attacked relentlessly by Trump since he returned to the White House last month.
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“My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
Earlier this week, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa rejected Trump’s assertions that South Africa was “confiscating” land and said he was ready to explain his government’s land reform policy to his US counterpart.
According to AP, Ramaphosa spoke with top Trump ally Elon Musk to raise concerns about “disinformation” being spread by the US president.
Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid. The government is under pressure to implement reforms.
During the apartheid era, land was taken from South Africa’s Black majority, who were forced to live in areas designated for Blacks only. The law has been debated and considered for years as a means, according to the government, to right historic wrongs, AP reported.
