US President Donald Trump has singled out South Africa for harsh treatment on several issues since he returned to the White House.
The ANC says it is disappointed by the US’ continued reference to conditions that do not exist in South Africa.
This comes after US President Donald Trump announced that Pretoria would be barred from attending the next G20 summit in America.
Trump rant
Tensions between South Africa and the United States are again at a high after the US boycotted the two-day G20 leaders’ Summit at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
“The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa, because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers,” Trump said Wednesday.
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Engagement
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the party has noted the comments attributed to Trump.
“This is notwithstanding existing diplomatic channels, the USA continues to relate with South Africa and in reference to the ANC. It is a known fact that at a political level, the ANC continues to engage with country representatives through their respective embassies on issues of mutual concern.
“Even at the height of the genocide in Gaza, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the ANC has continued to engage with various parties and country representatives, including representatives from the American Embassy. Therefore, the ANC hopes that the American administration will continue to communicate through established diplomatic channels.
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No genocide
Bhengu said the party is ready to engage American political parties to discuss issues of common interests as it has done in the past.
“We recently hosted a successful G20 summit that was attended by leaders and hundreds of journalists and civil society organisations. They moved freely around in the country for the entire 2025, unhindered. None of them witnessed or saw the so-called genocide in South Africa.
“We call on patriotic South Africans to appreciate that the time has come for all of us to stand together against disinformation and undiplomatic rhetoric peddled by the USA,” Bhengu said.
Trump attacks SA
Trump has singled out South Africa for harsh treatment on several issues since he returned to the White House in January, notably making debunked claims of white Afrikaners being systematically “killed and slaughtered” in the country.
He ambushed Ramaphosa in the Oval Office earlier this year, playing a video in which he alleged a campaign against white farmers by the post-apartheid government.
In May, Trump offered Afrikaners refugee status; the first group of around 50 was flown to the US on a chartered plane.
In October, South Africa criticised the decision by the US to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
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