US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that he will not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to concerns about the country’s policies, particularly in relation to land reforms and its “anti-American stance.”
Scheduled for February 20-21, the G20 summit is one of the world’s most significant forums for international economic cooperation, where global leaders discuss a variety of issues.
However, Rubio’s decision to skip the summit stems from what he described as South Africa’s “very bad things,” specifically its controversial land reform policies.
Rubio shared his stance on X , stating, “South Africa is doing very bad things—expropriating private property and using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’
In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
The criticism follows a similar stance from former US President Donald Trump, who recently condemned South Africa’s land reform initiatives.
Trump had threatened to cut all US funding to South Africa, labeling the land reform efforts as “human rights violations.”
In response to the growing international criticism, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected the claims, emphasizing that his government had not confiscated land.
He defended the land reform efforts, stating they were meant to address historical injustices and promote economic empowerment for historically marginalized communities.