South Africa’s
central bank governor warned that the United States move to exclude the country from the
Group of 20
next year was placing the
international gathering
at risk.
South Africa has been a member of the bloc since its formation in 1999 and “I cannot think of one country that got told that they
cannot come to G20
,” not even sanctioned Russia, Lesetja Kganyago said at a media lunch in Johannesburg on Friday.
President
Donald Trump
announced this week that he won’t invite South Africa — this year’s G20 president — to attend next year’s summit in Miami, which the U.S. will lead when it assumes the group’s presidency on Dec. 1.
Kganyago said that if South Africa is dropped in 2026, it would set a damaging precedent that could see other countries omitted in the future. “The G20 does not work like that. It’s a consensus forum,” the governor said.
Trump’s announcement reflects his broader beef with South Africa, which he has repeatedly accused, without evidence, of overseeing “genocide” against white South Africans. The
U.S. also boycotted last weekend’s G20 summit
in Johannesburg and criticized the country’s handling of the event.
The move to exclude South Africa has raised concerns among other members of the bloc. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that the G20 remains “one of the most important multilateral forums we still have.”
It’s not clear how the U.S. might enforce Trump’s ban on South Africa or any other nation’s participation, although presumably the State Department wouldn’t issue visas to officials seeking to attend.
Still, Kganyago said the situation remains fluid and could shift as quickly as Trump’s tariff threats. “There are so many moving parts,” he said. “You are going to see a lot of political posturing and there will surely be a climb-down.”
Bloomberg.com
South Africa warns Trump’s G20 snub sets dangerous precedent
2025-11-28 21:39:57
