Keypoints:
- Afrikaner leaders denounce Trump’s ‘white genocide’ narrative
- US boycotts G20 summit in Johannesburg over alleged rights abuses
- South Africa and local groups say boycott harms US interests
PROMINENT Afrikaners have rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims that white South Africans are victims of persecution, accusing Washington of spreading falsehoods and using their community as a political tool.
Trump announced over the weekend that no US officials would attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, which takes place later this month, citing alleged ‘human rights abuses’ against Afrikaners. The decision prompted an outcry from South African leaders and even members of the Afrikaner community themselves.
Afrikaners ‘not pawns’ in America’s politics
In an open letter signed by more than 40 writers, academics, clergy and journalists, prominent Afrikaners declared that they would not allow their identity to be weaponised for foreign political gain.
‘We reject the narrative that casts Afrikaners as victims of racial persecution in post-apartheid South Africa,’ the letter read. ‘We are not pawns in America’s culture wars.’
The group said they recognised the historic injustices of apartheid and their community’s role in building a democratic South Africa. ‘Singling us out as victims of multiracialism alienates us from our fellow South Africans and harms relationships that have been fostered over the past 30 years,’ it continued.
‘It is simply not true that Afrikaners are being killed and their land confiscated’
Trump’s boycott and disputed claims
Trump’s statement on Truth Social called it ‘a total disgrace’ that the G20 would be held in South Africa, alleging that Afrikaners were being ‘killed and slaughtered’ and their farms ‘illegally confiscated.’
Until his announcement, Vice-President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend the summit on his behalf. The boycott marks the first time the US has entirely withdrawn from a G20 meeting.
The president’s administration has repeatedly targeted South Africa since his return to office — imposing 30 percent tariffs, cutting aid, expelling the South African ambassador from Washington, and revising refugee policy to prioritise white Afrikaners. Trump has often echoed the long-debunked far-right claim of a ‘white genocide’.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also criticised South Africa’s G20 agenda, describing its theme — ‘solidarity, equality and sustainability’ — as ‘DEI and climate change nonsense’.
South Africa pushes back
Pretoria swiftly dismissed the US accusations. Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations, said the boycott would damage America’s credibility more than South Africa’s.
‘This will be one of the most significant G20s to date — albeit without the US. That absence will affect Washington, not the summit,’ he told NPR.
The government has consistently countered Trump’s assertions with official statistics, noting that white farmers still own the majority of commercial farmland and that Black South Africans remain the most frequent victims of violent crime.
‘There is no genocide in South Africa, there’s absolutely no persecution of anyone based on race’
Afrikaner voices call for truth
Veteran Afrikaner journalist Max du Preez, one of the signatories of the open letter, accused Trump of exploiting their identity.
‘There is no genocide in South Africa, there’s absolutely no persecution of anyone based on race,’ he told US news outlet NPR. ‘Our constitution has iron-clad protection for all citizens. Not a single square inch of white-owned land has been confiscated since we became a democracy in 1994. Please stop lying about us.’
Similarly, Christo van der Rheede, former head of AgriSA and now head of the FW de Klerk Foundation, urged South Africans to unite in rejecting the misinformation.
‘It is simply not true that Afrikaners are being killed and their land confiscated,’ he said. ‘The G20 is a key driver of global unity and progress. The US should reconsider its position — its business interests and moral credibility are at stake.’
Divided opinions
While many Afrikaners condemned Trump’s rhetoric, some right-wing factions have welcomed it. For years, smaller Afrikaner groups have travelled to the US lobbying lawmakers under the ‘white genocide’ banner. Analysts say Trump’s statement emboldens those groups but undermines Washington’s relationship with mainstream South Africans.
G20 to proceed without Washington
Despite the controversy, South Africa says the Johannesburg summit on November 22–23 will go ahead with full attendance from other major economies, including China’s President Xi Jinping and several European leaders.
‘We will continue to promote a more equitable global order,’ said Phiri. ‘Our presidency focuses on solidarity and sustainability, values that unite rather than divide.’
Analysts believe the boycott may signal a deeper shift in Washington’s global engagement. As the US steps back, other powers — notably China — are likely to strengthen their influence across Africa.
For many South Africans, the episode illustrates how domestic American politics can distort the country’s image abroad. As du Preez put it: ‘We don’t need outsiders to speak for us, least of all those spreading lies for political gain.’
