Washington: President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his concerns over US President Donald Trump's intention to exclude South Africa from the G20 Leaders' Summit scheduled to take place in the United States next year, describing the remarks as 'regrettable' and based on misinformation.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Presidency issued a statement emphasizing South Africa's rightful membership in the G20, highlighting the country's status as a sovereign constitutional democracy. The statement underscores that South Africa values the sovereignty of all nations and refrains from undermining any country's standing on global platforms.
On Wednesday, President Trump posted on Truth Social, indicating that South Africa would not be invited to the upcoming G20 Summit in the US. The post attributed the exclusion to the transition of the G20 Presidency and disinformation surrounding white genocide.
During the recent 2025 G20 Leaders' Summit, South Africa's government clarified that no formal handover ceremony between South Africa and the United States would occur. On Thursday, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to active participation in the G20 and urged member states to uphold multilateralism, consensus, and equal participation.
The Presidency expressed regret over President Trump's continued punitive measures against South Africa, which are perceived to be based on misinformation. Despite these challenges, President Ramaphosa praised the G20 South Africa 2025 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg as one of the most successful, with a declaration adopted to affirm the importance of multilateralism in tackling global issues.
The Presidency also noted that due to the US's absence from the Johannesburg summit, the G20 Presidency instruments were handed over to a US Embassy official at South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Despite the US government's absence, American businesses and civil society organisations participated significantly in related events, such as the B20 and the G20 Social.