US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that that he will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa citing concerns over the country’s policies, including land reforms and its “anti-American stance.”
South Africa is set to host the G20 summit in Johannesburg on 20–21 February. The G20 summit is the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
Rubio, in a post via his X account, said, “South Africa is doing very bad things.”
He wrote: “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.”
Rubio’s decision comes just days after US President Donald Trump slammed South Africa’s land policies. Trump had said he would cut all US funding to South Africa, calling its land reform efforts a “human rights violation.”
Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has already rejected Trump’s remarks, stressing that his country had not “confiscated land.”