ANC’s Mbalula Accuses Trump of ‘Punishing’ South Africa Over White Genocide Claims
Viable News Team 
Johannesburg, South Africa African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has accused former US President Donald Trump of attempting to punish South Africa over what he described as fabricated claims of a “white genocide” targeting Afrikaner farmers.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg, Mbalula condemned the US decision to skip the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23, calling it politically motivated.
“The American administration of Donald Trump not taking part in the G20 is to communicate a message of seeking to punish our country, but unfortunately, the reasons they have chosen to punish us economically are incorrect they are lies and fabricated,” Mbalula said.
He further rejected Trump’s characterization of South Africa as a communist country and his claims that white farmers are being “slaughtered” and their land “illegally confiscated.”
“If they use the question of genocide, the president of America goes to Miami and says things are horrible there, that things are bad here, and that we are a communist country,” Mbalula said.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account, announced that no US officials would attend the G20 Summit, alleging “human rights abuses” in South Africa. He wrote:
“Afrikaners, people who are descended from Dutch, and also French and German settlers, are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida.”
These remarks have drawn global attention amid ongoing tension between Washington and Pretoria over what has been called the US “Afrikaner resettlement programme,” which the South African government has dismissed as baseless.
Diplomatic Frustration
Mbalula criticised the Trump administration for its inconsistency, noting that concerns about farm killings were never formally raised during previous diplomatic engagements.
“The Donald Trump administration has not been straight with us. When President Ramaphosa went there, they raised the issue about killings on farms and then they played a video of Julius Malema that’s where it ended,” Mbalula said.
The tensions date back to May this year, when President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Trump’s administration at the White House to ease growing diplomatic and economic strains. During that meeting, Trump called for the arrest of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema over his continued use of the controversial “Kill the Boer” chant, further straining relations.
Mbalula also accused Trump of ignoring South Africa’s positions on international issues, such as the country’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “He never said anything about the ICJ, about us taking Israel to international court. He never said he’s got a problem with our policies expropriation of land and all of that but every time he’s got an opportunity, he takes a swipe at us. He says there’s a genocide, horrible things are happening, and that’s it,” Mbalula said.
He added that the US had not provided clear reasoning for its boycott, leaving South Africa unable to respond appropriately. “We’ve explained to them that issues like BBBEE are matters of redress in our country,” Mbalula said.
South Africa Refutes Claims of ‘White Genocide’
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) also rejected Trump’s allegations, describing them as “false and misleading narratives” with no basis in evidence.
“The claim of a so-called ‘white genocide’ in South Africa has been widely discredited and is unsupported by reliable evidence,” DIRCO stated. “Therefore, a programme designed to facilitate their immigration and resettlement as refugees is fundamentally flawed.”
Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola, emphasized that South Africa “remains a constitutional democracy that upholds the rule of law and protects the rights of all its citizens.” He added:
“We refute that these individuals are persecuted on the grounds of race or language. The idea that a particular race is being targeted for crime is also not founded on any evidence.”
As the G20 Summit approaches, tensions between South Africa and the US already heightened by Trump’s rhetoric continue to dominate headlines, highlighting the challenges of diplomacy amid politically charged accusations.
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