Faith Nyasuguta
The United States has officially suspended all cooperation with the upcoming G20 summit set to be hosted by South Africa later this year. The directive, issued by the White House, comes amid growing tensions over South Africa’s controversial land expropriation policy, which the Trump administration argues discriminates against the white minority population.
According to The Washington Post, the National Security Council has instructed U.S. government agencies and departments to immediately halt all preparatory work and participation in the summit, which is scheduled for November. The high-level international gathering, themed “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” is now clouded by political fallout between Washington and Pretoria.
The root of the dispute lies in South Africa’s push to redistribute land without compensation, a policy that President Donald Trump has strongly opposed. He claims the measure targets white South Africans, especially Afrikaner farmers, and has described the reform as a violation of human rights and property protections.
South Africa has denied the allegations of racial discrimination, insisting that the land reform initiative is a long-overdue effort to address historical injustices dating back to apartheid. Officials in Pretoria say the U.S. decision is politically motivated and an attempt to derail much-needed domestic reforms.
President Trump has been vocal on the issue since his first term, previously ordering the U.S. State Department to monitor alleged “large-scale killings” of white farmers, claims widely disputed by human rights organizations and the South African government. Now, his administration has taken the matter a step further by granting refugee status to some white South African farmers.
On May 12, 2025, a group of about 49 Afrikaner families arrived in the United States under a new fast-tracked resettlement program. Trump said the families had faced “racial persecution” and were being welcomed as “victims of discrimination.” This move has sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the Trump administration of selectively applying refugee policies.
Human rights advocates have highlighted the contrast between Trump’s embrace of white South African farmers and his administration’s more hostile stance toward refugees from other global conflict zones. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 white South Africans are reportedly seeking relocation to the U.S. under similar claims.
The diplomatic standoff has strained U.S.-South Africa relations. Pretoria maintains that its land policy aims to ensure equitable access to resources for all citizens and is not racially driven. Still, Washington appears unwilling to budge.
With the G20 summit just months away, South Africa now faces the prospect of hosting the global forum without the presence or support of one of the world’s most influential economies.
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