Johannesburg, South Africa – The United States has refuted claims made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding a potential shift in Washington’s stance on participating in the upcoming G20 summit. Ramaphosa stated on Thursday that the US had signaled a possible change of heart after the Trump administration announced a boycott. However, the White House has dismissed these reports as “fake news.”
Ramaphosa’s comments were made during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. He stated, “We have received notification from the United States, which we are still discussing with them, regarding a change in position concerning participation in the summit in one form or another.”
He added, “This comes just days before the summit convenes, and so we need to engage in such discussions to determine the extent to which it is realistic and what it actually means.” The Trump administration previously announced its decision not to attend the first-ever G20 summit held in Africa, accusing the host nation of discriminating against white people, a reference to the country’s history of apartheid.
On Thursday, a White House official clarified that an envoy would attend the official handover ceremony of the G20 presidency from South Africa to the United States. However, the official firmly stated that Washington would not be participating in the summit itself. “This is fake news. The chargé d’affaires in Pretoria will attend the handover ceremony as a formality, but the United States will not be joining the G20 discussions,” the official stated.
South African presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya countered by saying, “The President will not be handing over the presidency to a chargé d’affaires.”
Former President Trump reportedly objected to South Africa’s agenda for the summit, scheduled for November 22nd and 23rd. The conflicting statements highlight the ongoing diplomatic tensions surrounding the G20 summit and the US’s evolving relationship with South Africa.
