Trump to skip G20 in South Africa, calls for its removal from group • Country tackles POTUS, rejects calls for expulsion
US President Donald Trump announced he will boycott the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg and declared that South Africa should be expelled from the group. He cited land confiscation policies and human rights concerns as the reasons for his decision.
US President Donald Trump has declared he will not attend the forthcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg and has called for South Africa’s removal from the influential economic group. Speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Trump asserted that the nation should no longer be part of the “G” gatherings due to recent developments, https://en.yenisafak.com reported.
Justification for the Boycott
Trump elaborated on his reasons for the boycott, repeating previous accusations about land seizures and the mistreatment of certain populations within South Africa. “I’m not going to represent our country there. It shouldn’t be there,” he stated, referring to the summit scheduled for November 22-23. He has consistently labeled these issues as a “massive human rights violation.”
Previous Actions and Accusations
This is not the first time the US president has taken a firm stance against the African nation. Earlier this year, he questioned how the US could be expected to participate in the G20 meeting in South Africa if “land confiscation and genocide” were central topics. In February, he signed an executive order to facilitate the resettlement of white South African Afrikaners and to cut US aid to the country.
South Africa’s Response
The South African government has consistently rejected President Trump’s characterisation of events, stating that his claims are based on a “factually inaccurate” premise. The diplomatic disagreement sets a tense stage for the upcoming international gathering.
While reacting, the South African government has dismissed fresh criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he does not believe the African country should remain a member of the G20, SaharaReporters.com.
Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told the BBC that Pretoria remained confident it would successfully host the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg later this month, where leaders of the world’s largest economies are expected to gather.
“We are confident South Africa will host a very successful G20 summit,” Magwenya said.
Trump, who has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority, is not expected to attend the summit.
Instead, he will send Vice President JD Vance to represent the United States.
Speaking at a conference in Miami on Wednesday, Trump said, “South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what’s happened there is bad. I’m not going to represent our country there. It shouldn’t be there.”
The South African government has so far declined to issue a formal statement in response, though it recently criticised Washington’s decision to prioritise refugee applications from white South African Afrikaners.
Pretoria argued that claims of a so-called “white genocide” were false and lacked credible evidence.
According to the country’s latest crime data, white South Africans are not disproportionately affected by violent crime compared to other racial groups.
The G20 was established in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis to restore global economic stability. It now represents over 85% of the world’s wealth.
The first leaders’ summit took place in 2008 in response to the global financial crisis, and the group has since met annually to discuss economic challenges and foster international cooperation.
Unlike treaty-based organisations such as the United Nations, the G20 operates informally and by consensus, meaning there is no formal mechanism for expelling a member.
Dr. Andrew Gawthorpe of the UK’s Foreign Policy Centre told the BBC, “If a country was going to be kicked out, it would basically mean that it wasn’t invited to the meetings by whoever was hosting the G20 that year.
“But the host country would be unlikely to do that unless there was agreement among the rest of the members.”
Chris Vandome, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said such a consensus would be improbable, adding that US participation in the G20 has often been “disruptive.”
“A number of the working groups and ministerial meetings have not led to declarations… because the Americans have been disrupting things,” Vandome noted.
He added that other member states, particularly the European Union and China, were unlikely to support Trump’s position.
“In particular, the European Union, with large financial commitments made to South Africa and Africa.
“Also, on the Asian side, there’s no way that China would accept a sort of rejection of South Africa,” he said.
The last time a major power was expelled from a global economic forum was in 2014, when Russia was suspended from the then-G8 over its annexation of Crimea.
Despite calls for Russia’s expulsion from the G20 after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, no consensus was reached among member states.
South Africa, which holds this year’s G20 presidency, has chosen the theme “solidarity, equality, and sustainability.”
Foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the country’s experience overcoming racial division makes it uniquely placed to lead on issues of shared prosperity and justice.
“Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy, South Africa is uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity, where shared prosperity bridges deep inequalities,” Phiri said.
“And collective action for sustainability that centres development to address the impact of colonialism on the African continent.”
Trump’s latest remarks follow months of tension between Washington and Pretoria.
Earlier this year, he offered refugee status to white Afrikaners after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law allowing the state to seize land without compensation in limited circumstances, a measure aimed at redressing apartheid-era land ownership imbalances.
