EFF leader Julius Malema says South Africa should stay home from next year’s U.S. G20 summit unless it gets an invitation, after President Donald Trump said the country won’t be welcome in Miami. Picture Credits: YFM
By Duncan Mnisi
Johannesburg – South Africa’s political landscape intensified on Thursday after Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema called for the country to boycott the 2026 G20 Summit in the United States if it is not formally invited.
The remarks follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that South Africa, a founding member of the G20, would not receive an invitation to the summit scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida next year.
Speaking at a press briefing in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, Malema condemned the decision as “another example of United States imperialism and fascism”, comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler and describing the U.S. president as “the new Hitler”.
“If they don’t want us there, we should not be there at all,” Malema said. “A boycott is the only way to show that we will not be bullied.”
The EFF’s stance reflects growing frustration among South African officials who believe the U.S. is politicising the G20 platform. This follows earlier tensions after the U.S. reportedly requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa personally hand over the G20 presidency gavel to an American embassy representative — a request Pretoria rejected as a breach of diplomatic protocol.
Germany, Canada and several other G20 members have since expressed support for South Africa’s inclusion, cautioning that unilateral exclusion could undermine the forum’s credibility and stability.
Trump announced the decision on his Truth Social platform, citing alleged “systematic persecution” of white Afrikaner farmers as justification — a claim the South African government has repeatedly dismissed as inaccurate and misleading.
Analysts say the dispute could have multiple implications. Diplomatically, the exclusion weakens the G20’s representation of the Global South. Economically, it may complicate trade and investment engagements, particularly as South Africa strengthens its alignment with BRICS partners. Domestically, the controversy energises nationalist sentiment and provides the EFF with a potent rallying issue ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
“The G20 is supposed to be a group of 20, not a group of 19,” said ANC National Executive Committee member Thandi Moraka, arguing that no single member should determine the exclusion of another.
EFF supporters view the proposed boycott as an act of resistance against what they describe as U.S. “fascism”.
“We are not going to sit at a table where we are not wanted,” Malema said. “Solidarity among the oppressed is the only answer.”
This remains a developing story.
