South Africa's president is pushing back after President Trump said his country will not be invited to next year's G20 Summit in Miami—and that "South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere." The spat appears to stem from the final moments of the G20 summit held in Johannesburg last week, which Trump boycotted over widely disputed claims that white Afrikaners were being violently persecuted in the country. Trump claimed in a fiery Truth Social post that South Africa "refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony."
In a statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa clarified that "instruments of the G20 Presidency were duly handed over to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation." The BBC suspects that "low-key handover" ruffled Trump. Per the Guardian, the US wanted the transfer to take place at the closing ceremony; South Africa said protocol prohibited it from handing the presidency to a "junior" diplomat. The president's office said in a statement:
- "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 … will never insult or demean another country … 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."
The BBC notes G20 members do not need an invite to participate in a summit but could potentially be blocked from attending through visa restrictions.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
