AfriForum Turns to G20 as Global Spotlight Falls on South Africa’s Property Rights Debate

Lobby group urges world powers to pressure Pretoria on farm murders and land policy

With South Africa preparing to host the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, local civil rights organisation AfriForum has made a bold move: it has asked some of the world’s most influential economies to step in and pressure the South African government on two deeply contested issues, property rights and farm murders.

According to AfriForum, letters have already been delivered to G20 embassies, outlining the organisation’s concerns about what it believes is a deterioration in property rights and a continued surge in violent attacks on farmers. Along with the concerns, AfriForum says it has offered what it calls “practical solutions” for both issues.

But the timing of this campaign, right as the G20 prepares to meet in South Africa, has added a layer of diplomatic tension that goes beyond local politics.

US Boycott Sparks International Attention

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel says the matter has already had real geopolitical consequences.
He points to the United States’ decision to boycott the Johannesburg summit, a move he argues is directly linked to the unresolved debates around land expropriation and the country’s handling of farm murders.

“The lack of progress has already impacted the summit,” Kriel said, adding that G20 countries “can play a constructive role” by backing calls to safeguard property rights and help tackle farm attacks.

AfriForum argues that global investors and major economies, have a vested interest in the stability of land rights in South Africa. Kriel compares the current debate to the experiences of Zimbabwe and Venezuela, warning that poor land governance can fuel economic collapse, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment.

On social media, reaction has, unsurprisingly, been divided.
Supporters have praised AfriForum for taking the issue to the world stage, saying the organisation is “speaking up where government won’t.” Others argue that internationalising domestic tensions risks painting South Africa unfairly and giving foreign powers undue leverage in local policy debates.

The Expropriation Act Remains a Flashpoint

AfriForum has long been one of the most vocal critics of the Expropriation Act, especially the controversial Section 12(3), which allows land to be taken without compensation under specific conditions.

Kriel insists the organisation’s campaign is motivated by concern for “catastrophic consequences” he believes could affect all South Africans, not only farmers.

Among the solutions AfriForum is proposing:

What AfriForum Wants Government to Do

• Unconditionally condemn the “Kill the Boer” chant, which AfriForum argues amounts to incitement.

• Acknowledge the extreme violence involved in some farm murders.

• Declare farm murders a priority crime, giving them the same strategic focus as organised crime or hijackings.

• Direct police to formally collaborate with farm watches and neighbourhood safety groups.

• Amend the Expropriation Act, specifically removing Section 12(3).

The group says it will soon release a report on what it describes as ongoing human rights violations against minorities in South Africa signalling that its campaign is far from over.

Argentina Joins the Boycott and Aligns with Trump

AfriForum’s diplomatic push gained even more traction last week when it emerged that Argentina’s President Javier Milei will not attend the summit either.

Argentine media report that Milei’s decision aligns with US President Donald Trump’s boycott, which Trump claims is in response to alleged human rights abuses against Afrikaner farmers.

While Argentina has avoided issuing a formal statement, presidential advisers told local press that the decision is “in line with Washington’s position.” Instead, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and negotiator Federico Pinedo will attend in Milei’s place.

This alignment by two major G20 members has placed Pretoria in an uncomfortable position not only diplomatically, but also in terms of global perception.

A Wider Debate: Policy, Perception, and Political Leverage

AfriForum’s campaign highlights something bigger than the immediate debate over farm safety or land expropriation:
South Africa’s domestic policy choices are increasingly shaping its international alliances.

With global powers now weighing in, the tension between sovereignty and global pressure has become the central question. Should international voices influence South Africa’s internal debates on land reform? Or does this risk adding fuel to an already polarised issue?

What’s clear is that as the G20 summit approaches, these issues will not simply be side conversations they may shape the entire diplomatic atmosphere surrounding the event.

{Source: IOL}

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