Sec State Rubio Won’t Attend G20 Summit In South Africa, Cites Country’s Leftist Priorities

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would not attend the G20 summit in South Africa next November, citing the South African government’s laws permitting them to expropriate private property and their commitment to leftist priorities, including DEI and climate change.

In late January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill permitting the government to seize private land without compensation. That law replaced the Expropriation Act of 1975, which obligated the state to compensate private owners for land that the government seized. The new law permits the government to seize private land where it is “just and equitable and in the public interest” to do so.

“Under the theme of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability, our G20 Presidency reflects the essence of South Africa’s vision for global leadership,” South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated in January.

“Sustainability” is often linked to DEI principles, as shown here, here, and here.

“I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” Rubio stated on X. “South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”

I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.

South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” In other words: DEI and climate change.

My job is to advance America’s national interests, not…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 5, 2025

In addition to its commitment to DEI and prioritizing climate change, South Africa has also supported the terrorist group Hamas. As Israeli spokesman Daniel Rubenstein noted, the government of South Africa actually condemned Israel during the October 7 massacre.

“Didn’t even wait a day,” Rubenstein pointed out on X. “The government of South Africa that condemned Israel on October 7 is the same government of South Africa that brought the fake ‘genocide’ case against Israel to the International Court of Justice. Americans may be interested in knowing that the government of South Africa welcomed the Russian and Chinese navies recently. The government of South Africa deserves much more scrutiny for its behavior.”

Another bad thing that the government of South Africa is doing is supporting the Islamic Supremacist Movement known as Hamas. The government of South Africa loves Hamas so much that it condemned Israel DURING the October 7 Massacre. Didn't even wait a day. The government of South… https://t.co/oiaZKoizF8

— Daniel Rubenstein (@paulrubens) February 6, 2025

As Hamas and other citizens of Gaza slaughtered more than 1200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, the South African government issued a statement saying, “The new conflagration has arisen from the continued illegal occupation of Palestine land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites, and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.”