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Trump’s provocative interference in SA’s affairs contrary to core G20 norms

John Stremlau
By John Stremlau
17 Feb 2025
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In light of Donald Trump’s actions, this week’s G20 foreign ministers’ planning meeting should look beyond 2025 and begin to consider whether the US is an appropriate host for next year’s summit.

US President Donald Trump has internationalised his criticisms of South Africa’s domestic policies by directing his Secretary of State to refuse to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday and Friday in Johannesburg. 

In a 50-word post on Elon Musk’s X, Marco Rubio listed his reasons for “NOT” attending this week’s G20 foreign ministers’ meeting this week because South Africa is doing “very bad things” in the expropriation of private property, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); and climate change. 

He gave no evidence and is either ignorant or contemptuous of the purpose of the Expropriation Act of 2024), and of South Africa’s democratic 1996 Constitution, the core values of which are DEI, and of the scientific evidence of climate-change damage and threat to SA.

Internationally, rejecting DEI could also be construed as an affront to the United Nations, which seeks to promote peace among its diverse but inclusive General Assembly based on respect for a diversity of members, based on sovereign equality, and the inclusion of virtually all countries. DEI within nations, however, remains a sovereign issue.

The aspect of DEI that South Africa has urged the 2025 G20 to consider seeks greater economic equality within and among nations, which ironically has bedevilled the domestic politics of America, South Africa and many nations, since their founding.

The challenge that will face G20 members sending delegations to South Africa this year is whether and how to respond to the outbursts by the world’s most powerful state criticising the smallest and only sovereign African member of the G20 at a time when the US is scheduled to preside over the G20 next year.

G20 in context


The G20, created in 1999, initially reflected recognition by then US President Bill Clinton and many other Western leaders who perceived the growing economic multipolarity of the so-called Big Emerging Markets. 

The result is a larger, more inclusive G20, originally intended to complement the G7, a consultative group of Western democracies that emerged in the 1970s to deal with economic problems resulting from the Opec oil embargo.

The G20 is politically more diverse, but shares a commitment to economic cooperation to advance economic growth and development. South Africa was the only African member until 2023 when the African Union joined the European Union as the second regional organisation to become a member.

Today, the G20 claims to represent 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the world’s population. A key goal of South Africa as host for this year’s several G20 programmes is to re-energise and expand North-South cooperation for the acceleration of growth and development, especially in Africa.  

Trump disparages South Africa, Africa, and the G20


On 7 February 2025, Trump signed an executive order titled “Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa”. Barely 500 words in length, the order asserts that South Africa “poses national security threats to our Nation”.

One policy change is that the US will not provide further aid or assistance to South Africa, including its membership of Agoa. 

The second is that the US shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees “escaping race-based discrimination, including … property confiscation”. 

This blatant and provocative interference in SA’s domestic affairs is also contrary to the core norms of both the G20 and the UN.

Another of Trump’s executive orders, taken within hours of his inauguration, also merits G20 attention as a threat to SA and Africa. “Reevaluating and Realigning US Foreign Aid” has already had devastating effects on humanitarian assistance, especially in Africa. 

It led to another abrupt decision to terminate USAid. USAid has been an independent agency since 1961, when President JF Kennedy inaugurated it. It has also enjoyed bipartisan congressional funding since its founding. 

The impact has been felt in many poor countries of concern to G20 members. Related concerns of many G20 countries have been his withdrawal from the WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement, which also have an especially onerous impact on the wellbeing of poor African nations and their relations with G20 countries. 

Prospects for G20 in 2025/26  


Since 2016, annual G20 presidencies have been approved as a troika to encourage multilateral and multidimensional cooperation.

In the current round, South Africa followed Brazil, and in 2026 is scheduled to hand over to the US, a decision that was taken before Trump returned to power, making Trump’s blatant interference in South Africa’s domestic affairs an attack on G20 norms.

In light of Trump’s actions, this week’s G20 foreign ministers’ planning meeting should look beyond 2025 and begin to consider whether the US is an appropriate host for next year’s summit.

Among the alternative options they could consider are to skip a year or perhaps turn to another G20 member, one of the two regional organisations, the AU or EU.

Another option is to ask South Africa to serve as host for a second year. This would remind everyone that the G20 really is committed to multilateral cooperation, including North-South relations of benefit to Africa. 

Justification for not having Trump preside in 2026 is his refusal to allow the US to participate in the 2025 summit planning this week when the US had previously agreed to do so.

Trump’s attempt to use the G20 to register his personal but official criticisms of SA’s domestic affairs is an affront to SA’s national sovereignty and a challenge to the group’s long-standing norms. A collective reaction from other G20 members would be good for the G20 and for the future of multilateral cooperation that it supports. DM

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