Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the US will need to convince all other members of the G20 if they want to block South Africa from attending the upcoming G20 in America.
This comes amid rising tensions between the two countries after US boycotted the G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted in Nasrec, Johannesburg over allegations of white genocide.
Despite US absence, the declaration was adopted on the first day of the summit, with Argentina not supporting the declaration.
SA will be in the US
Speaking on the sidelines, Ntshavheni said South Africa remained part of the G20 and will participate in the G20 under the American presidency. She said in a case that the US denies South African government access into the G20, this should be announced to all other members and be made public.
She emphasised that South Africa is part of the troika, noting that it is the outgoing president handing over to the US, while the UK will come take over the presidency for 2027.
She said the US will decide if they grant visa but claimed “it does not change the price of bread”.
“Even if they revoke my visa it’s fine, I would not have not go to the US,” she said.
Press aide running her mouth
Responding to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comment that President Cyril Ramaphosa was “running his mouth” when announcing the last-minute change of heart for the US to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Ntshavheni said South Africa is “bigger than that”.
She said Ramaphosa had demonstrated great leadership, also with hosting the first G20 on African soil and pushing Africa to the top in the G20.
“The other commentary, why should we elevate nothing?” said Ntshavheni, she said of the Leavitt remark.
Tit for tat
The celebratory handover was cancelled but South Africa has committed to hosting the handover at the Department of International Resources and Cooperation (DIRCO) headquarters at the level of the chargè d’affaires that has been sent by the US.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said South Africa could not hold a celebratory handover for a junior delegate in the presence of world leaders.
“We will accord them the equivalent respect by ensuring that the person who does the handover is the equivalent of the chargè d’affaires. So that is what we are going to do.
“The only thing we said is that our President cannot hand over to a junior person in the Leaders’ Summit attended by so many heads of state,” said Lamola.
