US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that he will not attend the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa, citing an escalating dispute between the US and Pretoria over South Africa’s controversial land expropriation law.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, follows US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut aid to South Africa in response to the legislation, which allows the government to seize land without compensation in certain cases.
The meeting, scheduled for February 20-21 in Johannesburg, marks South Africa’s tenure as G20 president until November 2025.
Rubio, a key diplomat in the Trump administration, voiced his discontent on social media, criticizing the law and accusing South Africa of promoting anti-Americanism under the guise of international cooperation.
“South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, [and] sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change,” Rubio wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
He added, “My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
The controversial law, passed last month under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, allows for land expropriation without compensation if deemed “just and equitable” and in the public interest, such as in cases of unused property.
The law aims to address racial disparities in land ownership, a legacy of apartheid. The debate remains heated as South Africa struggles to balance historical redress with future stability.
With Rubio’s absence from the G20 talks, it remains to be seen how this diplomatic rift will impact broader international cooperation on critical issues. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to withhold aid to South Africa, potentially reducing the $440 million allocated in 2023.
