Trump threatens US no-show at SA G20

US President Donald Trump has threatened to be a no-show for the G20 Leaders’ Summit set to take place in SA later this year. 

In yet another attack on the SA government, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, expressing his reservations about attending the summit, citing “land confiscation and genocide” as his reasons for not coming to the country.

“How could we be expected to go to SA for the very important G20 meeting when land confiscation and genocide are the primary topics of conversation?

“They are taking the land of white farmers, and then killing them and their families. The media refuses to report on this. The US has held back all contributions to SA. Is this where we want to be for the G20? I don’t think so.”

Relations between SA and the US were strained after SA took Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide against the people of Palestine.

SA’s stance on the war between Ukraine and Russia has also caused tensions between the two countries, but SA had not been on the receiving end of long-lasting consequences until Trump took over from his predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump announced he would withdraw the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) funding to SA, slashing SA’s reported $2.3bn (R42.38bn) annual response to Aids budget by about 17%.

SA again found itself in the red with Washington after the signing into law of the contentious Expropriation Bill.

The law saw Afrikaner interest group AfriForum and Solidarity members seeking help from Trump’s administration, saying genocide was being committed against white South Africans and illegal invasions and seizures of their land were taking place.

The US has since offered white Afrikaners in SA refugee status.

TimesLIVE