Dirco says South Africa looks forward to hosting successful G20 summit, calls Trump’s remarks regrettable
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has reiterated that South Africa rejects claims of racial persecution and remains focused on hosting a successful G20 summit.
Image: GCIS
The South African government has responded to comments by United States President Donald Trump, who announced that no US government officials would attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Trump also accused South Africa of “human rights abuses”, claiming that white Afrikaners are being “killed and slaughtered” and their farms “illegally confiscated”.
In a brief statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) referred to its previous responses rejecting what it called false claims of “white genocide” in South Africa.
“The South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation has noted the content of a post by President Donald J. Trump on the Truth Social platform,” said spokesperson for International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, Chrispin Phiri.
“The South African government wishes to state, for the record, that the characterisation of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical. Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact.
“Our position on this matter remains consistent with our previous statements,” he said.
US President Donald J. Trump
Image: File/ The White House
Against this backdrop, Phiri said South Africa’s focus remains on its positive global contributions.
“Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy, our nation is uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity, where shared prosperity bridges deep inequalities,” he said.
“We look forward to hosting a successful G20 leaders’ summit.”
On the other hand, a former South African ambassador and seasoned diplomat believes the United States will send its officials from the embassy in Pretoria to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg later this month.
Former South African ambassador to Portugal, Dr Kingsley Makhubela, on Saturday told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that US embassy officials, if they attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg, will raise objections that could affect the overall outcome of the event.
Makhubela was reacting to news that Trump has announced that no US official will attend the G20 summit hosted by South Africa.
“I think he meant to say no one will come from Washington to attend this meeting. I have always held a view that (US Vice President) JD Vance won’t be coming because if you look at their objections to this meeting, it is embedded in what is going to be discussed during this G20. That has to do with solidarity, diversity, and interdependence of the world, which they are very much opposed to,” said Makhubela.
“What they are likely to do, and I think they will do, is to send an official from the embassy to attend because the decisions that are taken there (at the G20 summit) are taken by consensus.
“So the official at the meeting will keep on saying I have instructions from Washington not to accept this paragraph, I have instructions from Washington that this paragraph must be added. So it will be very difficult to reach a consensus document that will come out of the G20,” he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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