US secretary of state says he is not going to attend talks in South Africa amid spat over land expropriation legislation.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated 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 support 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 stated 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 underneath the administration of former US President Joe Biden, stated in a publish on X.
“In the event you’re not on the desk, you’re on the menu.”
On Monday, Trump accused the administration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of “confiscating land” and mistreating “sure courses of individuals”, prompting a rebuttal from Pretoria.
Ramaphosa stated the legislation was not a “confiscation instrument” however a part of a “constitutionally mandated authorized course of” that may 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”, akin to in circumstances the place a property is unused, and the place it has been unable to achieve an settlement with the proprietor.
Ramaphosa and his African Nationwide Congress have defended the laws as essential to alleviate enormous disparities in land possession stemming from the legacy of the racist system of apartheid.
The federal government has but to expropriate any land underneath 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 pulls most of its assist from white, Indian and Colored (multiracial) South Africans, has expressed “deep concern” about Trump’s menace to chop support and stated it’s a false impression that land may be seized “arbitrarily”.
Land possession is a delicate and polarising challenge in South Africa because of the historical past of Black folks being compelled off their lands and denied entry to property.
Whereas Black South Africans make up greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants, they personal simply 4 p.c of privately owned farmland, in keeping with a authorities audit performed 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 slightly greater than 7 p.c 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 employees of the US Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) on administrative go away.
Washington allotted about $440m in help to South Africa in 2023, in keeping with the latest authorities knowledge.
