The Presidency says South Africa “does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms after US President Donald Trump announced that Pretoria would be barred from attending the next G20 summit in America.
Tensions between South Africa and the United States are again at a high after the US boycotted the two-day G20 leaders’ Summit at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
US insults SA
“The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa, because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human Rights Abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers,” Trump said Wednesday.
“To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them. Perhaps, worst of all, the soon to be out of business New York Times and the Fake News Media won’t issue a word against this genocide. That’s why all the Liars and Pretenders of the Radical Left Media are going out of business! At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our U.S. Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform.
Trump’s remarks come after Pretoria said it would not hand over the G20 presidency to the US chargé d’affaires, Marc D Dillard.
Dillard was expected to lead the US delegation at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg over the weekend.
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SA barred from G20
Trump said Pretoria will not be invited to the G20 Leaders Summit in the US.
“Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida, next year.
“South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trump said.
SA ambushed
Trump has singled out South Africa for harsh treatment on several issues since he returned to the White House in January, notably making debunked claims of white Afrikaners being systematically “killed and slaughtered” in the country.
He ambushed Ramaphosa in the Oval Office earlier this year, playing a video in which he alleged a campaign against white farmers by the post-apartheid government.
In May, Trump offered Afrikaners refugee status; the first group of around 50 was flown to the US on a chartered plane.
In October, South Africa criticised the decision by the US to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
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‘Regrettable’
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa has noted the “regrettable statement” by Trump on Pretoria’s participation in the 2026 G20 meetings.
“As one of the founding members of the G20, South Africa has always valued the spirit of consensus, collaboration and partnership that defines the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
SA G20 member
Magwenya said South Africa is a member of the G20 in its own name and right.
“Its G20 membership is at the behest of all other members. South Africa is a sovereign, constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms
“South Africa respects the sovereignty of all countries and will never insult or demean another country or its standing and worthiness in the community of nations,” Magwenya said.
Diplomatic relations with US
He added that Pretoria will continue to participate as a full, active and constructive member of the G20.
“We call on members of the G20 to reaffirm its continued operation in the spirit of multilateralism, based on consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all of its structures.
“It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US, President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country,” Magwenya said.
G20 handover
As the US was not present at the G20 leaders’ Summit, instruments of the G20 Presidency were handed over to a US Embassy official at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in Pretoria.
During the G20 summit, Pretoria said it would not harbour any animosity and would attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in the US when the gathering of world leaders takes place there next year.
Washington, a founding member of the G20, is next in line to take over the rotating presidency from Pretoria.
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