South Africa said on Thursday that it was prepared to sit out next year’s G20 meetings after being barred by the United States, and did not expect other countries to lobby for its inclusion.
The United States this month took over the year-long presidency of the group of leading economies after largely boycotting South Africa’s tenure, including the November summit, in what analysts described as an escalation of its disputes with Pretoria.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated on Wednesday that South Africa would not be invited to the US-run G20, citing complaints that included unfounded claims the government deliberately discriminated against the white Afrikaner minority.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in response that South Africa would sit out the 2026 series of meetings and resume participation when the G20 presidency passes to Britain in a year’s time.
“For now, we will take a commercial break until we resume normal programming,” Magwenya said on social media.
The G20 group includes the world’s largest economies as well as the European Union and African Union regional blocs. It accounts for 85 per cent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population.
The Johannesburg summit, the first in Africa, was attended by a host of world leaders, including from countries not in the G20, but was boycotted by US President Donald Trump.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman said South Africa did not expect other G20 nations to boycott the US presidency or lobby for its inclusion.
“In fact, it would be unhelpful if the entire year goes to waste and the G20 is collapsed,” Magwenya told the Sunday Times newspaper in an interview published late Wednesday.
South Africa, however, expects other members “to register their displeasure with the US in defence of multilateralism and the spirit and purpose of the G20,” he added.
The Trump administration has criticised South Africa over a range of policies, expelling its ambassador in March and imposing 30 per cent trade tariffs, which Pretoria is still seeking to overturn.
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