‘South Africa has behaved extremely badly’: Trump accuses SA of exterminating people
US President Donald Trump meets Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, where Trump accused South Africa of “behaving extremely badly” and repeated that he would not attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Image: Screengrab
United States President Donald Trump has again lashed out at South Africa, saying the country has “behaved extremely badly” and accusing it of pursuing “policies on the extermination of people.”
Speaking alongside Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman who is visiting the United States, Trump said he would not attend the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in Johannesburg this weekend, accusing South Africa of “unacceptable conduct.”
“I’m not going to South Africa for the G20 because I think their policies on the extermination of people are unacceptable. So I’m not going. South Africa has behaved extremely badly,” Trump told reporters.
The remarks came during a feisty interaction with the media, which also featured questions on the transportation of Palestinians from Gaza to other countries — an initiative that South Africa has sharply criticised, calling it an attempt to “cleanse Gaza of its people.” Trump appeared to link Pretoria’s position on the Gaza conflict with his long-standing accusations that South Africa targets white farmers through land expropriation policies.
This latest statement marks an escalation from Trump’s claim last week that “Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated,” which led to his announcement that no US government officials would attend the G20 summit in South Africa.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has previously dismissed Trump’s accusations as “regrettable and baseless,” saying they distort the country’s constitutional commitment to human rights and non-racialism.
The G20 Summit, to be hosted in Johannesburg under the theme “Rebuilding Global Trust and Cooperation,” is expected to draw leaders from the world’s largest economies including the People's Republic of China, which will be represented by Premier Li Qiang.
As the controversy grows, South African officials say preparations for the G20 summit are proceeding as planned.
Earlier this week, IOL reported that Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola insisted that the United States will have to send officials to South Africa if Washington wants to be formally handed the reins of the G20 as the incoming president of the bloc.
The US is set to take over the G20 Presidency from South Africa and host the summit in 2026. However, Washington's decision to stay away from this weekend’s Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg raises questions about the ceremonial handover.
Lamola delivered the update during a media briefing at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec on Monday, where he was joined by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. The summit, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, will mark the culmination of South Africa’s G20 presidency.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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