South Africa Says G20 Handover Requires U.S. Presence in Johannesburg

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, November 18th, 2025

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South Africa has made clear that the United States must send representatives to Johannesburg this weekend if it wishes to receive the G20 presidency through a formal handover at the upcoming summit.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said his government is fully prepared to transfer leadership to Washington but emphasized that the ceremonial aspect cannot take place in the absence of U.S. officials. “We are ready to hand over to the United States here in Johannesburg,” he said. “If they want a ceremonial handover, they must come. Otherwise, we will proceed with issuing the summit’s final outcomes and Leaders’ Declaration.”
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Lamola said South Africa is prepared to host world leaders and expects meaningful progress from the gathering. He noted that Pretoria aims for results that advance the interests of Africa and the broader Global South, underscoring the significance of South Africa’s current term as G20 president.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub, from Saturday to Sunday.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that no American officials would attend the summit, citing claims of mistreatment and “genocide” against Afrikaners—accusations that South Africa has strongly rejected.