US bars South Africa from 2026 G20 Summit, cuts aid amid escalating tensions
Relations between the United States and South Africa deteriorated further after President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that South Africa will be excluded from the 2026 G20 summit.
In a Truth Social post, Trump cited what he described as South Africa’s failure to address human rights abuses against Afrikaners and other white descendants of European settlers, including farm seizures and killings. He said the South African government ignored these concerns during the recent G20 summit, which the US boycotted.
“To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken,” Trump wrote, adding that South Africa would not receive an invitation to the 2026 G20 summit in Miami.
Trump also accused South Africa of refusing to hand over G20 presidency documents to a senior U.S. embassy representative at the closing ceremony in Johannesburg.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded on X, condemning Trump’s remarks as punitive actions based on “misinformation and distortions,” despite South Africa’s efforts to maintain dialogue.
Ramaphosa said the G20 handover documents were formally transferred to a US embassy official at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, emphasizing that South Africa, as a founding G20 member, is committed to consensus and global economic cooperation. He noted that while the U.S. skipped the leaders’ summit, it remained active through private sector and civil society channels, including strong participation in B20 and other G20 initiatives.
“South Africa is a member of the G20 in its own name and right,” Ramaphosa said. “It is a sovereign, constitutional democracy and does not welcome insults from another country about its membership or role in global platforms.”
(With input from wires)
