South Africa dismisses Trump’s G20 exclusion call ahead of summit

South Africa dismisses Trump's G20 exclusion call ahead of summit

South Africa has brushed aside criticism from former US President Donald Trump, who claimed the country should no longer be part of the G20, as Johannesburg prepares to host the upcoming leaders' summit later this month.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told the BBC that South Africa remains confident in its ability to deliver a successful event, despite Trump's remarks. The US delegation will be led by Vice-President JD Vance, as Trump-who has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority-will not attend.

Trump's remarks and South Africa's response

Speaking at a conference in Miami on Wednesday, Trump asserted, "South Africa shouldn't even be in the Gs any more, because what's happened there is bad. I'm not going to represent our country there. It shouldn't be there."

South Africa's government declined to issue a full rebuttal but last week criticized the US decision to prioritize refugee applications from white Afrikaners-descendants of Dutch and French settlers-calling claims of a "white genocide" baseless. Official crime statistics show no disproportionate targeting of white South Africans in violent crime.

G20 structure and expulsion precedent

The G20, established in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis, represents over 85% of global wealth. Unlike the UN, it lacks a formal charter, operating instead by consensus. Dr. Andrew Gawthorpe of the UK's Foreign Policy Centre noted that excluding a member would require host-country agreement and broader consensus-a rare scenario.

The only historical precedent is Russia's 2014 expulsion from the G8 (now G7) following its annexation of Crimea. Despite calls to remove Russia from the G20 after its 2022 Ukraine invasion, no consensus emerged.

South Africa's summit agenda

This year's summit theme-solidarity, equality, and sustainability-reflects South Africa's post-apartheid transition, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri. "South Africa is uniquely positioned to champion shared prosperity and address colonialism's legacy in Africa," he stated.

Tensions over land reform and tariffs

Trump's offer of refugee status to Afrikaners followed South Africa's 2024 land expropriation law, allowing rare cases of compensation-free seizures. White farmers, comprising 7% of the population, own most private farmland. Diplomatic efforts, including President Cyril Ramaphosa's May visit to the White House, failed to ease tensions. In August, the US imposed 30% tariffs on South African exports-the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

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