Ramaphosa Slams Trump's "Regrettable" G20 Snub Amid Diplomatic Rift

President Cyril Ramaphosa said that South Africa is a member of the G20 "in its own name and right" and its G20 membership is at the behest of all other members.

"President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted the regrettable statement by President Donald Trump on South Africa's participation in the 2026 G20 meetings. The G20 South Africa 2025 Leaders' Summit was hailed by all members who attended as one of the most successful summits. The summit produced a declaration that affirmed the indisputable strength and value of multilateralism in response to the most pressing challenges facing the world," read a statement issued by Ramaphosa's office.

"As the United States was not present at the summit, instruments of the G20 Presidency were duly handover to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation. As a founding member, South Africa has always valued the spirit of consensus, collaboration and partnership that defines the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. In keeping with this approach, the United States was expected to participate in all meetings of the G20 during South Africa's Presidency and elected not to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg out of its own volition," it added.

The South African President made it clear that the country will continue to participate as a full, active and constructive member of the G20 and called on members of the G20 to reaffirm its continued operation in the spirit of multilateralism, based on consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all of its structures.

"South Africa is a member of the G20 in its own name and right. It's G20 membership is at the behest of all other members. South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its worth in participating in global platforms. South Africa will never insult another country or its standing in the community of nations," the statement mentioned.

"It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country," it mentioned further.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will not invite South Africa to attend next year's G20 Summit in Miami, Florida, and will halt all US aid to the country.

"At my direction, South Africa will not be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. He added that the United States would "stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately."

Trump has repeatedly claimed that white people in South Africa are being killed and their farms are being seized at random -- allegations the South African government has repeatedly rejected.

Trump also criticised South Africa for refusing to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior US diplomat at the summit's closing ceremony over the weekend. South Africa earlier said it was an insult for President Cyril Ramaphosa to hand over to a junior US official.

Tensions between Washington and Pretoria have escalated since Trump returned to office in late January. In February, Trump signed an executive order to freeze US aid to South Africa, accusing the Expropriation Act -- a land reform law signed by Ramaphosa in January -- of "discriminating" against the country's white population, Xinhua news agency reported.

In response, the South African government pushed back against the White House's accusations, saying the aid freeze "lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa's profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid."

In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that he would boycott the G20 summit in Johannesburg.

In March, Washington expelled then South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, further straining the bilateral relations. The expulsion followed an earlier address by the ambassador, in which he criticized Trump.

In May, Trump confronted visiting South African President Ramaphosa at the White House with conspiracy theories on "white genocide" in South Africa, which Ramaphosa firmly denied.

At the time, Ramaphosa, who had arrived in Washington to improve trade terms and ease bilateral tensions, rejected Trump's assertions during their meeting. The South African president refuted the notion that white South Africans are fleeing the country due to racist policies, noting that the majority of crime victims in his country are Black.

Earlier this month, Trump announced that no US officials would attend the G20 Summit.

- IANS