South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ruled out handing over the upcoming G20 presidency to a US embassy representative after former President Donald Trump declined to attend this weekend’s Johannesburg summit.
The Trump administration boycotted the meeting, which concludes on Sunday, and proposed sending the US embassy’s chargé d’affaires for the ceremonial handover, as Washington assumes the 2026 G20 presidency.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said on Saturday that Ramaphosa “will not be handing over to the chargé d’affaires from the US.” He added that the United States, as a G20 member, could send a head of state, minister, or a “special envoy appointed by the president” to participate at the proper level. Otherwise, any handover would take place between officials of equivalent rank at government offices.
Trump’s absence continues a pattern of US withdrawal from multilateral events and follows tensions with Pretoria over issues including claims of persecution of white South Africans. Ahead of the summit, the US embassy indicated that its priorities “run counter” to US policy views, making a joint declaration impossible.
Despite the US boycott, the summit, attended by nearly two dozen world leaders, adopted a declaration calling for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” while also emphasising safeguards for the global supply of critical minerals. Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said, “We cannot be held back by one country.”
