Tension escalated on Thursday over U.S. involvement in next week’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested Washington was reconsidering its plan to skip the gathering—a claim quickly rejected by the White House.
Speaking at a joint press event with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, Ramaphosa said Pretoria had been notified of possible U.S. re-engagement. “We have received a notice from the United States indicating a potential change of heart about participating in some form at the summit,” he said, adding that South Africa was still clarifying what level of involvement Washington was considering. “These discussions are happening days before the summit, so we must still determine what is practical and what their intentions truly are.”
The Trump administration had previously announced it would boycott the meeting—Africa’s first time hosting the G20—accusing South Africa of discrimination against white citizens despite repeated denials from Pretoria and independent analysts who describe such claims as politically motivated.
White House Dismisses Claim, Says U.S. Will Not Join G20 Talks
Within hours of Ramaphosa’s remarks, a White House official pushed back, calling the suggestion of renewed U.S. participation “fake news.” The official said Washington would only send its chargé d’affaires in Pretoria to attend the formal handover of the G20 presidency from South Africa to the United States, an annual ceremonial moment typically witnessed by heads of government or senior ministers.
“The chargé d’affaires will attend the handover ceremony as a formality, but the United States is not rejoining or taking part in G20 discussions,” the official said.
South African presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya disputed the notion that the handover could be conducted at a lower diplomatic level, insisting, “The president will not hand over to a chargé d’affaires.”
Growing Disagreement as Summit Focuses on Global South Priorities
President Trump has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s priorities for the November 22–23 summit, which centers on debt relief for developing countries, climate adaptation funding, and accelerating access to clean energy technologies. He has rejected the agenda as inconsistent with U.S. interests and signaled that Washington would not support several of the proposed commitments.
Ramaphosa had previously expressed frustration over the U.S. boycott, saying, “I don’t want to hand over to an empty chair, but the empty chair will be there” if the United States maintains its stance.
The Johannesburg summit comes at a pivotal time for emerging economies seeking a stronger voice in global governance, and South Africa’s officials argue that U.S. absence would weaken efforts to build consensus on issues disproportionately affecting the Global South.
Source:Africa Publicity
