United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has mentioned he’ll skip Group of 20 (G20) talks in South Africa amid an escalating spat between Washington and Pretoria over a controversial land expropriation legislation.
Rubio’s announcement on Wednesday got here days after US President Donald Trump threatened to chop assist to South Africa over its passage of laws permitting the seizure of land with out compensation in sure circumstances.
South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency till November 2025, is ready to host a gathering of overseas ministers from February 20-21 in Johannesburg.
“South Africa is doing very unhealthy issues. Expropriating personal property. Utilizing G20 to advertise ‘solidarity, equality, [and] sustainability.’ In different phrases: DEI and local weather change,” Rubio mentioned in a publish on X.
“My job is to advance America’s nationwide pursuits, not waste taxpayer cash or coddle anti-Americanism.”
I’ll NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
South Africa is doing very unhealthy issues. Expropriating personal property. Utilizing G20 to advertise “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” In different phrases: DEI and local weather change.
My job is to advance America’s nationwide pursuits, not…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 5, 2025
Rubio’s announcement was greeted with dismay by critics of the Trump administration.
“This present of weak spot hurts our nationwide safety and financial system whereas benefiting China,” Andrew Bates, who served as White Home senior deputy press secretary beneath the administration of former US President Joe Biden, mentioned in a publish on X.
“If you happen to’re not on the desk, you’re on the menu.”
Ian Chong, an affiliate professor of worldwide relations on the Nationwide College of Singapore, mentioned Rubio’s announcement aligned with the Republican Get together’s distrust of multilateral worldwide establishments within the Trump period.
“The world not too long ago noticed the Trump administration withdraw from the Paris Local weather Accords, World Well being Group, and withhold funding for sure organisations within the UN system,” Chong advised Al Jazeera.
“Rubio not attending the G20 is per this pattern. Observe that in Trump’s first time period, the US withheld appointments to the appeals physique of the World Commerce Group. That successfully stalled the WTO appeals mechanism.”
On Monday, Trump accused the administration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of “confiscating land” and mistreating “sure lessons of individuals”, prompting a rebuttal from Pretoria.
Ramaphosa mentioned the legislation was not a “confiscation instrument” however a part of a “constitutionally mandated authorized course of” that might guarantee public entry to land in an “equitable and simply method”.
Beneath the legislation signed by Ramaphosa final month, the federal government might seize land with out compensation the place it’s “simply and equitable and within the public curiosity”, reminiscent of in instances the place a property is unused, and the place it has been unable to succeed in an settlement with the proprietor.
Ramaphosa and his African Nationwide Congress have defended the laws as essential to alleviate big disparities in land possession stemming from the legacy of the racist system of apartheid.
The federal government has but to expropriate any land beneath the legislation.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s fundamental opposition celebration and a member of the ANC-led nationwide unity authorities, has opposed the legislation, warning that it undermines property rights and will scare off overseas funding.
Nevertheless, the DA, which attracts most of its help from white, Indian and Colored (multiracial) South Africans, has expressed “deep concern” about Trump’s menace to chop assist and mentioned it’s a false impression that land might be seized “arbitrarily”.
Land possession is a delicate and polarising subject in South Africa as a result of historical past of Black folks being pressured off their lands and denied entry to property.
Whereas Black South Africans make up greater than 80 % of the inhabitants, they personal simply 4 % of privately owned farmland, in keeping with a authorities audit carried out in 2017.
White South Africans, who’re largely descended from British and Dutch settlers, maintain about three-quarters of the land regardless of making up just a little greater than 7 % of the inhabitants
Trump’s menace to chop funding to the African nation comes as his administration has positioned a freeze on practically all overseas help and put most workers of the US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) on administrative depart.
Washington allotted about $440m in help to South Africa in 2023, in keeping with the latest authorities knowledge.
