U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that he would not attend the upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa, which is scheduled for February 20-21 in Johannesburg. The decision came shortly after President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to South Africa, accusing the country of “confiscating land” and mistreating certain groups of people, without providing evidence.
Trump’s comments sparked a response from South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who defended the country’s land policies, clarifying that no land had been confiscated and that the policy aimed to ensure equal access to land for all citizens.
The G20 meeting will be held under South Africa’s presidency from December 2024 to November 2025. Rubio, commenting on the situation, expressed his discontent with South Africa’s land expropriation policy, linking it to global initiatives like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and climate change. South Africa’s foreign ministry responded to Rubio’s comments, stating that the country’s land reform law was not arbitrary, but similar to eminent domain laws in other nations.
The controversy over land ownership in South Africa is deeply rooted in the history of colonialism and apartheid, during which Black South Africans were stripped of their land. Today, while the Black population makes up 80% of the country, they own just 4% of the country’s freehold farmland, a stark contrast to the 75% controlled by white landowners. In an effort to address this imbalance, the government passed a law allowing for land expropriation in the public interest.
Trump’s comments also reflect broader concerns about DEI programs in the U.S., which he and other critics argue undermine merit-based systems. Proponents of DEI, however, contend that such initiatives are necessary to address systemic inequalities and provide opportunities for marginalized communities.
