By Abdullah Vawda
United States President Donald Trump has taken to social media to announce that South Africa will not be allowed to attend next year’s Group of 20 (G20) intergovernmental forum in Miami, Florida. In Wednesday’s post, Trump renewed false claims that a white “genocide” was unfolding in the African country as reported by Al Jazeera English.
Reacting to Trump’s post, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the move as “regrettable,” saying it reflected punitive measures driven by misinformation rather than diplomatic engagement.
The spat follows rising tensions over allegations from the US that the South African government discriminates against its white minority. Trump has repeatedly claimed white farmers in South Africa are victims of violence and expropriation, assertions that have been widely criticised by experts and rejected by Pretoria.
Meanwhile at home, racist venom captured on camera in the precinct of a prominent restaurant in Pretoria, has once again placed the spotlight on Islamophobia in South Africa. As expected, the hateful incident has not only sparked widespread outrage, but has also gone viral across social media platforms. It involved a white female spewing racist and Islamophobic comments directed at two Muslim women wearing a niqab (face covering) at a tashas Cafe restaurant.
Linked to white supremacists, neoconservatives, Likudniks and fascists, Islamophobia has increasingly become weaponised by Israel. Used as a political tool to discredit Palestine’s freedom struggle, the settler-colonial regime has spared no effort in funding and spearheading Islamophobes.
Eyewitness accounts of the racist rant were documented by Abigail Nhlabati and Tsephagalo Gumede, as reported by News24. They expressed complete shock at what they witnessed. “The fact that this grown woman even had the guts to attack another woman’s religion is honestly so shameful, disrespectful and quite honestly a bold, racist move,”
Nhlabati is quoted.
Polity reported on 30 May 2025 that Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser ‘debunked claims of Afrikaner genocide’. He said many of the White people he had engaged with in South Africa viewed Trump as a great President, but believed the President had been misinformed of a genocide “by people who wanted an excuse to leave”.
Pastor Burns said the Oval Office meeting between President Trump and President Ramaphosa had delivered “three powerful things”: The white genocide claim had united the country, it had forced crime to the top of the national agenda, and it had led to a discussion about re-modelling Black Economic Empowerment “to make sure it benefits
everyone”.
Lets hope the racist rants will not deter South Africa from its local and global responsibilities!
Abdullah Vawda is a governance and strategic advisory specialist with extensive experience across Southern Africa. Based in South Africa, he combines expertise in communications, media management, and institutional development to support civil society, policymakers, and professional networks in strengthening transparency and accountability across the region. At Africa Risk Control, he leads the Southern Africa Desk, overseeing due diligence, intelligence gathering, and corporate investigations. https://africariskcontrol.com/