PRETORIA, November 8. /TASS/. South Africa disagrees with US President Donald Trump's statements that the country’s white residents are being persecuted, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.

According to South African diplomats, characterizing Afrikaners (the descendants of European settlers in South Africa) as an exclusively white group is anti-historical. In addition, the claim that this community is being persecuted lacks factual support, the statement said.

According to the document, under the current circumstances, South Africa remains focused on its positive contribution to global processes. "Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy, South Africa is uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity, where shared prosperity bridges deep inequalities," the diplomats said. They added that South Africa looks forward to the successful conclusion of the G20 leaders' summit.

A few hours earlier, Trump announced on Truth Social that US representatives would not attend the upcoming G20 summit on November 22-23, which will be held in Johannesburg and chaired by South Africa. Trump called it a disgrace to hold the summit in South Africa, pointing to the situation with the rights of the white population, which, in his opinion, is being subjected to violence.

In early September, Trump announced that he would skip the G20 summit in Johannesburg and that Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation. At the end of the summit, the G20 presidency will pass from South Africa to the US.