South Africa’s government has rebuffed recent comments made by former President Donald Trump regarding the country’s participation in the G20 summit and its treatment of white minority Afrikaners. His comments have sparked a new diplomatic crisis. South Africa isn’t just rolling over though, it is defending its ground, championing its sovereignty and challenging the validity of his statements.
In February, Trump threatened to withdraw aid from South Africa over claims that the government was discriminating against white Afrikaners. His administration even went on to accuse the South African government of inciting violence against these farmers. They equally accused it of participating in population displacement and land expropriation practices. In 2018, Trump falsely claimed South Africa was “killing white people.” Enough of the country that thoroughly cringed at, denounced, and laughed off this statement by a man who barely deserves mentioning.
To address international concerns, the South African government repeatedly underscored that it does not tolerate violence or discrimination against any group on the basis of race. It acknowledged that though past injustices had created a racial wealth gap, white Afrikaners are still much wealthier than black South Africans on average today. The government has been quite adamant that land expropriation should only take place with very stringent stipulations. This strategy redresses past wrongs without infringing on the rights of anyone.
Alarmed by Trump’s comments, South Africa’s presidency responded by issuing a statement of regret. Peaceful and inclusive election South Africa’s democracy is openly debated, imperfect and loud. It will not abide by insults that call into question its worthiness to join global elites in big tents like the G20.
“We refuse to hand over the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from the U.S. Embassy,” the statement added, reinforcing South Africa’s commitment to its role in international diplomacy.
South Africa is justifiably proud to be a member of the G20. It has a public role as a think tank, and it fights to shape debates on pressing global economic challenges. Consider the United States Government’s recent boycott of the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa. This strike beyond the battlefield provoked an immediate firestorm, significantly escalating tensions between the two countries.
The U.S. has recently begun granting refugee status to white South Africans. Yet in so doing, it ended all other refugee arrivals of other ethnicities. Such a move has been widely criticized and called out, questioning what the real purpose is behind policies like this.
Trump reiterated his viewpoint, stating, “The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human Rights Abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers.” He added, “To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them.”
The South African government, and the vast majority of South Africans, vigorously counter these charges. Aerial claims They have countered that these accusations distort reality on the ground in their country. They claim that the tales of mass killings targeting white farmers are a distortion of the truth. This positive confidence view is far from the truth experienced by each and every South African.