South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated Friday that the nation will symbolically hand over the G20 presidency to an “empty chair” at the upcoming summit, due to the United States’ absence. He emphasized the importance of repairing trade relations with Washington.
President Ramaphosa’s statement comes after US President Donald Trump announced last week that the United States would not attend the G20 summit, scheduled for November 22nd and 23rd in South Africa. Trump cited alleged “human rights abuses,” referencing widely debunked reports of purported “white genocide” and land seizures targeting white farmers in South Africa.
Trump further stated that US refugee admissions this year would focus heavily on Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers who constitute a significant portion of South Africa’s white population.
Speaking to reporters in Soweto, where he was overseeing preparations for the summit, Ramaphosa addressed the situation: “I said in the past, I don’t want to hand [the G20 presidency] to an empty chair, but the empty chair will be there. Most likely, I will hand it over symbolically to that empty chair and then I’ll engage with President Trump.”
South African officials have expressed growing frustration with Trump’s claims regarding the alleged persecution of Afrikaners, vehemently denying that anyone faces discrimination based on race in the majority-black nation.
Ramaphosa stressed that his priority is maintaining economic ties with one of South Africa’s largest trading partners. “We export products to that country that don’t end up in the White House, but in the hands of consumers in the United States,” he said.
“There may be a view that we shouldn’t engage with the United States. But sometimes you have to talk to people who may not be very friendly, to advance the interests of your people.”
