By Palesa Matlala
· President Donald Trump boycotted the G20 summit and threatened to block South Africa from trade deals and next year’s summit.
· South Africa handed over the G20 presidency to a low-ranking US official, fueling speculation of worsening relations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 7pm tonight in what many are calling a “family meeting” after a stormy week in global politics.
South Africa hosted the G20 Leaders Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg last week, welcoming presidents and heads of state from the world’s biggest economies.
The presidency has hailed the event as a success. But tensions with the United States have cast a shadow over the outcome.
Former US president Donald Trump, who is running again for office, boycotted the summit. He also urged other leaders not to sign the joint declaration.
After the event, South Africa formally handed over the G20 presidency to the United States. But instead of the handover happening between heads of state, it was done via a junior-ranking US embassy official.
That break in tradition sparked more speculation that relations between the two nations are deteriorating.
Trump later posted on X, formerly Twitter, that South Africa would not be invited to next year’s G20 summit. He also threatened to remove the country from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a US trade programme that still needs to be approved by the US Senate.
Despite the drama, President Ramaphosa and other global leaders have called the summit a win for South Africa and the continent.
Ramaphosa is expected to clarify South Africa’s position during tonight’s national address.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during the G20 summit in Johannesburg
Image source: GCIS
