U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that he will not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, citing concerns over the country’s policies, including land reforms and what he described as an “anti-American stance.”
In a post on his X account, Rubio criticized South Africa’s actions, stating, “I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. 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.”
South Africa is set to host the G20 summit in Johannesburg from February 20 to 21. The summit serves as a key platform for international economic cooperation.
Rubio’s decision follows recent criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who condemned South Africa’s land policies and vowed to cut U.S. funding to the country, labeling its land reform efforts a “human rights violation.”
However, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed Trump’s remarks, asserting that the country has not “confiscated land.”
In a statement, the South African Presidency also refuted claims that the Expropriation Act was designed to seize land, emphasizing that its policies were being misrepresented.