United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Flickr)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declined South Africa’s invitation to attend a G20 meeting of foreign ministers in a tweet in which he repeated President Donald Trump’s claim that the country is “doing very bad things”.
Rubio added complaints of his own, and accused Pretoria of using its G20 presidency to promote an agenda alien to Washington’s by focusing on climate change.
“I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” he posted on X. “South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality & sustainability’’. In other words: DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
The post suggests the Trump administration is not only stepping up its attack on South African policy but adding the country as a target in its war on DEI programmes that promote the fair treatment and participation of all people, including gender, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, culture, class and religion.
It also signals that the US will seek to frustrate South Africa’s programme for its year-long G20 presidency, which marks the first time an African nation has steered the world’s premium forum for economic development.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola’s office confirmed that Rubio’s decision was not communicated through the usual diplomatic channels but it saw it on social media.
“We are a sovereign and democratic country committed to human dignity, equality and rights, championing non-racialism and non-sexism while placing our Constitution and the rule of law at the forefront,” Lamola said in a statement.
As he did earlier this week after Trump announced that he had suspended all US donor aid to South Africa as an apparent sanction for enacting expropriation legislation, Lamola stressed that the law did not allow the arbitrary seizure of land.
He again likened expropriation to the principle of eminent domain in US legislation — the power to take private property and convert it into public use, which has long been in use in that country.
“There is no arbitrary dispossession of land/private property. This law is similar to the eminent domain laws,” Lamola said
“Solidarity, ubuntu promotes collective problem-solving. Our G20 presidency is not confined to just climate change but also equitable treatment for nations of the Global South, ensuring an equal global system for all.
“These are important principles that we remain open to pursue and engage the United States on.”
Lamola has been trying to initiate a phone call with Rubio since the Trump administration took office three weeks ago. He also hoped to meet privately with his US counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 meeting to defuse escalating tension with Washington.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has reiterated that the president hoped to speak directly to Trump and to host him at the G20 leaders summit in November, possibly even for a state visit earlier.
But Rubio’s stance calls Trump’s attendance into question.
The G20 working group on climate sustainability is to be co-chaired by the US.