South African opposition leader Julius Malema has launched a sharp attack on United States President Donald Trump, describing him as the “Adolf Hitler of the modern day” following diplomatic tensions surrounding South Africa’s recent G20 presidency.
Malema’s comments come after Trump boycotted the G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted in Johannesburg in November and allegedly attempted to persuade other nations to undermine South Africa’s role as G20 president. Trump has also stated that he would not invite South Africa to the 2026 G20 Summit, which the U.S. is set to host.
Speaking during a media briefing this week, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader said Trump’s behaviour reflected a worrying level of unilateralism.
“His attempt at unilaterally inviting and uninviting countries to the G20 simply because of his political interests further confirms the assessment that Donald Trump is the new Hitler that the world is faced with. Failure to recognise this reality will result in devastating consequences for the global political and economic order,” Malema said.
Malema added that South Africa would continue to assert its position within the bloc.
“We are a founding member of the G20. We will mobilise international communities to condemn Trump’s actions,” he said.
He also praised President Cyril Ramaphosa for what he described as a measured and effective response to the diplomatic fallout.
“Ramaphosa handled this saga well and very successfully in a situation where he was confronted with serious hostility. It was not easy to fight America. If it were me, it would have been worse,” Malema said.
