South Africa has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that the country is carrying out “white genocide.”
Donald Trump said he skipped the recent G-20 meeting in Johannesburg because the South African government “refuses to deal with human rights abuses” against white farmers.
He also claimed that white people were being killed and their farms taken away a claim mainly spread by small white nationalist groups in South Africa and the US.
South Aferica Denied ‘White Genocide’ Claim
President Cyril Ramaphosa said Trump’s comments were false and came from a small fringe group that does not represent the country’s policies.
US Aid Cuts and Rising Tension
Donald Trump also said he would stop all payments and support to South Africa, calling the country “not worthy of membership anywhere.”
US aid to South Africa reached $564 million in 2024 and was already expected to drop to $103 million in 2025 because relations between the two countries were getting worse.
Tension increased further during an Oval Office meeting where Trump showed Ramaphosa a video about “white genocide.”
Ramaphosa said the video was misleading and that crime in South Africa affects everyone.
Golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and billionaire Johann Rupert supported Ramaphosa during the meeting.
Elon Musk, who has repeated the “white genocide” claims in the past, was present with Trump.
Dispute Over G-20 Summit
Trump also accused South Africa of refusing to properly hand over the G-20 Presidency to a US representative.
Ramaphosa denied this and said the documents were given to an official from the US Embassy as required.
The growing argument has raised questions about whether the next G-20 summit in Miami will happen smoothly.
South Africa Rejects Any Talk of Expulsion
Ramaphosa strongly said that South Africa will not accept “insults” about its place in the G-20.
The US is currently having disagreements with several G-20 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, China, and India.
South Africa has asked all G-20 members to support cooperation and equal treatment.
