WATCH | ‘We’re no US sub-country!’ — Mbalula tears into Trump over G20 boycott

Mbalula

Cape Town – ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for accusing South Africa of persecuting white Afrikaners and announcing a US boycott of the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

Trump’s remarks on his Truth Social platform, claiming Afrikaners were being “killed and slaughtered” and their farms “illegally confiscated,” drew widespread backlash.

“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Afrikaners (people who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) 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,” Trump said.

Rubio backed Trump’s stance on X, alleging that Afrikaners face ongoing racial discrimination by the South African government and praising Trump’s decision to boycott the G20 Summit.

“Afrikaners have been continuously subjected to violent racial discrimination by the South African government. I applaud @POTUS‘s decision to not waste taxpayer dollars sending our diplomats to the G20 while this heinous violence continues,” he wrote. 

Speaking during an interview with eNCA on Sunday, Mbalula dismissed the claims as “blatant lies” and “imperialist interference”, asserting that South Africa’s laws aim to redress apartheid-era inequalities and that the G20 Summit would proceed “with or without” the US.

“This is a blatant lie. There is no racial discrimination happening in South Africa.

“South Africa’s laws seek to redress imbalances created by apartheid, which was declared by the UN as a crime against humanity, particularly against black people. We don’t take kindly to imperialist flirtations,” Mbalula said.

He added: “Our country must go ahead and the G20 will take place without them. It’s unfortunate that they’ve stirred up things which, in our view as the ANC, borders on imperialism. We are an anti-imperialist organisation,” he said.

Mbalula accused Trump of undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and spreading falsehoods about its democracy.

“We reject Donald Trump’s assertions and fabrications. Trump’s administration has got no regard for our sovereignty. They think that we are a sub-country of the US, which is very unfortunate on their part.”

The dispute comes amid strained relations between South Africa and the US, following Washington’s criticism of South Africa’s land reform policies, sanctions on ANC figures, and new trade tariffs.

Despite this, South Africa has vowed to host a successful G20 Summit on November 22–23 — the first on African soil.

Trump confirmed that the 2026 G20 Summit will be held in Miami, Florida.

Watch the full interview below (Courtesy of eNCA))

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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