Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has strongly rebutted claims made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding South Africa’s land expropriation policy, stressing that there is no arbitrary dispossession of land or private property in the country.
The response comes after Rubio accused South Africa of pursuing an “anti-American” agenda and engaging in unlawful land expropriation following the passage of the Expropriation Act.
Rubio said in a post on social media that he would skip the G20 talks in South Africa. This comes just days after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid to South Africa.
“South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change,” he said in a post on X.
In his response, Lamola pointed out that the US itself has expropriation laws, specifically its “eminent domain” legislation, under which private land can be seized for public use with compensation.
Lamola’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, stated that the South African government remains open to engaging with the United States on the matter.
Phiri added, “Our G20 presidency is not confined to just climate change but also to ensuring equitable treatment for nations of the Global South, advocating for an equal global system for all. These are important principles that we remain open to pursue and engage the United States on.”
South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency until November 2025, is set to host a foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg later this month.
VOC News
Photo: RonaldLamola/X
