US continues campaign to undermine South Africa and G20

True to his word, US President Donald Trump will be notable by his absence at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg this week.

Earlier this year, citing his "problems with South Africa", including his perception of a genocide of white Afrikaners, Trump said he "probably won't" attend the summit hosted by South Africa.

Some experts say Washington has been on a mission to delegitimise the event, and this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it would showcase strong American leadership when it takes over hosting duties next year.

Professor Patrick Bond from the University of Johannesburg said the US was working with a small group of allies.

"There are basically three countries - including Argentina and Turkey - aligned with the US, The New York Times reported the other day, sabotaging anything that might be progressive."

Bond added that the US was unlikely to oppose financial decisions outright, adding that expectations for major outcomes were already low.

"I don't think they're going to oppose anything financially because there's nothing really coming out," he said.

Yet he still believes the summit does face a legitimacy crisis, but not for the reasons raised by Donald Trump.

"This is imperial plus some sub-imperial allies not doing anything to address world problems," he argues.

The 2025 G20 Johannesburg summit, taking place 22–23 November, will mark the 20th gathering of the heads of state and government. It's the first time the summit is hosted in Africa.

To listen to Bond in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: