South Africa’s Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, has firmly rejected claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump alleging genocide against the country’s white Afrikaner minority.
“South Africa has been falsely accused of genocide against its white community and threatened with punitive sanctions based on falsehood,” Godongwana stated during his medium-term budget address on Wednesday.
His remarks come in response to Trump’s recent announcement that the United States would boycott the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, citing discredited allegations of racial persecution and land seizures targeting Afrikaners.
The U.S. president has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s coalition government in recent months, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
Godongwana condemned Washington’s rhetoric as fearmongering and misinformation, and commended Afrikaner organizations that publicly dismissed Trump’s statements as divisive and unpatriotic.
South Africa’s government, along with numerous civil society groups, has consistently denied the genocide claims, emphasizing the country’s commitment to constitutional rights and inclusive governance.
The G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on November 22–23, amid heightened diplomatic tensions and global scrutiny.
