SOUTH AFRICA‘s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has issued a scathing condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump, labelling his recent comments about the country as “false, inflammatory, and racially charged.”
The rebuke comes in response to Trump’s alleged claims of “genocide” and “persecution” of white South Africans and his reported boycott of an upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit.
In a press statement released on Saturday, November 8, 2025, and signed by its National Spokesperson, Mr Mahlengi Bhengu, ANC accused Trump of engaging in a “long and disgraceful pattern of imperial arrogance and disinformation.”
The party asserted that Trump’s statements were a deliberate political manoeuvre, stating: “These statements are not borne of ignorance, they are deliberate attempts to distort the reality of South Africa’s democracy and to mobilise racial fear for political gain in the United States.”
The ANC fiercely defended South Africa’s sovereignty and constitutional order, pushing back against what it termed foreign interference. “South Africa is a sovereign and constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law,” the statement read. “Our democratic institutions are strong, independent, and rooted in the will of the people, not in the approval or interference of any foreign power.”
The party explicitly rejected the framing of its national policies as racially motivated, declaring: “The ANC rejects with contempt any insinuation that our country’s transformation agenda is driven by racial disposition.”
The statement also connected Trump’s latest remarks to his broader historical record, citing his defence of white supremacists in Charlottesville and his past description of African nations as “shithole countries.”
The ANC characterised this as a consistent pattern, saying Trump’s record “speaks of a man driven by prejudice, not principle.”
According to the ANC, Trump’s worldview sees “African progress as a threat.” The party vowed that it “will not allow such divisive and regressive ideology to define Africa’s image or dictate its future.”
Shifting focus to the international stage, the ANC underscored the significance of South Africa hosting the G20 Summit under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
The statement positioned the event as a demonstration of the nation’s leadership and a platform for Africa’s voice, focused on “the pressing challenges of debt relief, development, climate justice, and equitable trade.”
Dismissing the impact of any boycott, the ANC declared: “The success of the summit will not be defined by who refuses to attend, but by the shared determination of nations that believe in multilateralism based on respect and equality among peoples.”
Reaffirming its commitment to South Africa’s hard-won democracy, the party stated: “We will not be bullied, defined, or distracted by imperial nostalgia masquerading as concern. Our democracy was built through struggle and sacrifice, and it will continue to flourish guided by the will of our people and the enduring values of justice, equality, and sovereignty.”
The ANC concluded its statement with a call to action, urging “progressive forces across the world to reject the revival of colonial tropes and to stand in solidarity with Africa’s right to self-determination.”
