South Africa Refuses Calls To Hand G20 Presidency To Junior US Official Amid Trump’s Absence

South Africa has firmly dismissed suggestions that President Cyril Ramaphosa should transfer the G20 presidency to a junior United States embassy representative. The proposal surfaced after confirmation that US President Donald Trump would not attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya addressed the matter shortly after Ramaphosa delivered his opening remarks at the summit. He made it clear that such a handover would breach diplomatic protocol and could not be entertained.

Despite the contention, Magwenya emphasised that the presidency of the G20 will still be passed on to the United States as scheduled.

G20 Protocol Under Spotlight as US President Skips Summit

Magwenya reiterated that South Africa’s stance is guided by international diplomatic norms. His clarification followed heightened speculation triggered by Trump’s absence and calls from some delegates for an interim representative to receive the presidency.

Analyst Says Declaration Could Reinforce G20 Credibility

Political Analyst Dr Sithembele Mbete said the G20’s legitimacy would remain intact if leaders agree to adopt a Summit Declaration.

Mbete noted, “If the leaders have said that, have decided that they are going to adopt a declaration, which is just a summary of what’s come out of the 130 meetings that have happened in the G20 over the last year, I think that is a really good thing.

“And it reinforces firstly the credibility of the G20 and the legitimacy of the G20, whether or not the United States is here and participating. And I think it’s a really important thing to just show that the G20 needs to be taken seriously as a negotiating forum, whether or not the US is here or not.”

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The White House had said it was sending a junior United States embassy representative to attend the final part of the summit solely for the purpose of receiving the mantle of G20 leadership, following President Trump’s decision to stay away from the programme.

President Ramaphosa had earlier suggested that talks were ongoing and that the US might still send Vice President JD Vance to attend. However, a White House spokesperson, in a video clip, dismissed the idea, stating that the President of the United States stands by his decision.

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