ANC Slams Washington for “Imaginary Conditions” as Trump Escalates Attacks on South Africa

Diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Washington have flared up once again and this time, the ANC is pushing back harder than usual.

The party says it is deeply disappointed by the United States’ repeated references to “conditions that do not exist in South Africa,” after US President Donald Trump announced that Pretoria would be barred from attending the next G20 summit on American soil.

This comes barely a week after the US refused to send a delegation to Johannesburg’s G20 gathering, a decision that Washington justified with yet another allegation that South Africa abuses minority groups, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked.

Trump Revives Old Claims, Again

Trump’s comments were blunt and inflammatory. Speaking midweek, he said:

“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.”

It wasn’t the first time he made this claim and it likely won’t be the last.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has zeroed in on South Africa with unusual consistency, recycling rhetoric about so-called “white genocide”, despite years of research, crime statistics, expert reviews, and international bodies confirming no such campaign exists.

Earlier this year, during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the Oval Office, Trump blindsided him by playing a video alleging that post-apartheid policies targeted white farmers. In May, the US administration even offered Afrikaners refugee status, with the first batch, about 50 people, flown out on a chartered flight.

South Africans on social media have reacted with a mix of disbelief and satire, with many questioning why the US would elevate debunked fringe narratives to foreign policy level.

ANC: “We Will Not Be Lectured Through Twitter Announcements”

Responding to the latest wave of accusations, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu expressed frustration, noting that communication between the two countries already exists and works.

She emphasised that despite Washington’s confrontational tone, the ANC and South Africa’s government remain engaged with US representatives through normal diplomatic channels.

“Even at the height of the genocide in Gaza and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the ANC continued to engage with various parties, including the American Embassy,” Bhengu said.

Her message was clear: South Africa is not a pariah state, and it is actively diplomatically engaged.

Bhengu also stressed that South Africa successfully hosted the 2025 G20 Summit, where hundreds of world leaders, journalists and civil society groups moved about freely.

“None of them witnessed or saw the so-called genocide in South Africa,” she said.

A Call for Unity and Facts, Not Fearmongering

The ANC has urged citizens to remain alert to what it calls “disinformation” being pushed by foreign governments. It framed this moment as an opportunity for patriotic unity, not political division.

“The time has come for all of us to stand together against disinformation and undiplomatic rhetoric peddled by the USA,” Bhengu said.

This is not a new battle for South Africa. Claims of a targeted campaign against white farmers have circulated internationally for years, often amplified by fringe groups, lobbyists, and certain right-wing commentators abroad. Locally, these narratives rarely match the lived reality of most South Africans, where violent crime affects all racial communities.

Experts have long argued that using South Africa’s complex history as a political talking point in US domestic politics is both irresponsible and dangerous.

Despite the escalating rhetoric, the ANC says it remains open to dialogue with US political parties, as it has historically done.

The G20 snub is symbolic, but not fatal: South Africa remains part of the global diplomatic system, and analysts say Washington’s posture reflects Trump’s political strategy at home more than genuine concerns about South Africa.

For now, Pretoria is bracing for a rocky few months as the Trump administration continues shaping its foreign policy narrative, with South Africa frequently caught in the crossfire.

What’s certain is that South Africa will not let accusations rooted in misinformation go unchallenged.

Germany Steps In as Trump–South Africa Rift Widens: Why the G20 Fallout Matters

{Source: The Citizen}

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