South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has further clashed with US officials over the Trump administration's decision to boycott the G20 summit in Johannesburg. Ramaphosa had previously said he would hand over the presidency of the G20 to an "empty chair", but now wants a senior US official to participate in the closing ceremony.
The dispute is part of a broader row between the two countries, with the US accusing South Africa of racial discrimination against minority white Afrikaners. Ramaphosa has rejected these claims, saying that his country's sovereignty should be respected. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has hit back, saying that the US is not participating in official talks at the G20 and that its ambassador will simply receive a send-off.
Many South Africans have reacted angrily to what they see as a snub, with some calling for a boycott of the event. The country's foreign ministry spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, has said that President Ramaphosa will not hand over to a junior embassy official.
The G20 summit is taking place at a tumultuous moment in global politics, with the US and Russia engaged in talks over Ukraine. Analysts say that the US boycott of the G20 is unlikely to improve its global standing, and may even harm it.
South Africa has taken great pride in hosting the G20 summit, presenting itself as a champion of issues important to many countries on the continent. These include high levels of public debt and how to get the most benefit from the growing demand for critical minerals used in green technologies.
As part of its G20 presidency, Ramaphosa commissioned reports into Africa's high debt levels and global inequality. The latter, produced by a panel independent experts led by Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, cited data showing that the world's wealthiest 1% had captured 41% of all wealth generated between 2000 and 2024.
The panel recommended the formation of an independent body to synthesise data and research on inequality and assess the effectiveness of policies to tackle it. Several global leaders, including Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez, have thrown their weight behind the proposal.
Protests over violence against women are being held across South Africa, with thousands of people laying down for 15 minutes of silence in memory of the 15 women murdered on average every day in the country. The event is timed to coincide with the G20 summit, which opens on Saturday.
The dispute is part of a broader row between the two countries, with the US accusing South Africa of racial discrimination against minority white Afrikaners. Ramaphosa has rejected these claims, saying that his country's sovereignty should be respected. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has hit back, saying that the US is not participating in official talks at the G20 and that its ambassador will simply receive a send-off.
Many South Africans have reacted angrily to what they see as a snub, with some calling for a boycott of the event. The country's foreign ministry spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, has said that President Ramaphosa will not hand over to a junior embassy official.
The G20 summit is taking place at a tumultuous moment in global politics, with the US and Russia engaged in talks over Ukraine. Analysts say that the US boycott of the G20 is unlikely to improve its global standing, and may even harm it.
South Africa has taken great pride in hosting the G20 summit, presenting itself as a champion of issues important to many countries on the continent. These include high levels of public debt and how to get the most benefit from the growing demand for critical minerals used in green technologies.
As part of its G20 presidency, Ramaphosa commissioned reports into Africa's high debt levels and global inequality. The latter, produced by a panel independent experts led by Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, cited data showing that the world's wealthiest 1% had captured 41% of all wealth generated between 2000 and 2024.
The panel recommended the formation of an independent body to synthesise data and research on inequality and assess the effectiveness of policies to tackle it. Several global leaders, including Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez, have thrown their weight behind the proposal.
Protests over violence against women are being held across South Africa, with thousands of people laying down for 15 minutes of silence in memory of the 15 women murdered on average every day in the country. The event is timed to coincide with the G20 summit, which opens on Saturday.
, but at the same time I think it's a total non-issue... wait, no, that's not what I mean 
! Like, if South Africa is trying to make itself look all fancy and important on the world stage, then maybe they should just be cool with not having any senior US officials there? but on the other hand, it's kinda a big deal for them to be snubbed like that 
... I don't know, man, my mind is all over the place about this one 
. It's just so frustrating when you can't even agree with yourself 
!
this whole thing just feels like a big mess... i mean, come on, boycotting the G20 summit over some sensitive issue like afrikaner rights? it's not exactly the first time the US has done something weird in africa. and now south africa is getting all bent out of shape about it... 
i dunno if rhamaphosa is right to be pushing back, but at the same time, the us should probably try to engage with south africa more instead of just snubbing them. anyway, its gonna be a weird few days with all these protests and stuff happening around the G20 summit 
And I don't get why South Africa is making such a big deal about it too, I mean I know everyone was expecting some high level officials to be there. But at the same time, I can see why President Ramaphosa would want to make a statement about his country's sovereignty and all that jazz 
.
On the other hand, I do think it's really interesting that South Africa is taking this initiative on inequality and stuff. I mean, if they can make some real change happen out of all this drama, then that's all that matters 
.
Those protests over women's rights are really heartbreaking. 15 women murdered every day is just... ugh 
. I'm so glad the world is still talking about these issues and trying to make a difference 
He's trying his best to promote unity and equality at the G20 summit, but it seems like no one wants to listen 
The US is being super stubborn about this whole thing, and it's just gonna make things worse 
I mean, come on, 41% of all wealth captured by the top 1%? That's just crazy 
We need people like Ramaphosa who are fighting for the little guys 
Can't let things escalate further 
It's a tough spot to be in, but I'm rooting for him and his cause 
. They're already dealing with a lot going on in Ukraine, so can they really afford to get all drama-prone over South Africa right now? 
. I mean, come on, if you can't make an effort to participate, then why even bother hosting the thing? 
. They've been working hard to tackle issues like public debt and inequality, and now they're getting some major international recognition 
. It's not about being a "champion of the continent" or whatever... it's just basic human decency 
.
. It's like the world is finally waking up to the fact that violence against women is a major issue that needs to be addressed 
. Anyway, back in my day... we just didn't have all these fancy international summits and protests... it was simpler times 
.
. and on a separate note, have you seen those protests over violence against women in South Africa? so tragic 
. The US is already dealing with a lot going on with Russia and Ukraine, so I don't think the G20 boycott is gonna make their day brighter 
. South Africa's trying to prove itself as a major player in global politics, but this whole thing's just kinda getting in the way 
they're just tryna have a convo about debt & inequality 
but i get why south africa feels snubbed 
g20 is like a big fam meet up 
and ramaphosa's got some awesome ideas about makin global stans 
and gettin more benjamins for africa 
. Can't we focus on the issues that really matter, like inequality and public debt? 
️
. South Africa's hosting a super important G20 summit and they're gonna be the only ones not showing up? It's like, what's the point of even having a summit if nobody's participating?