‘US can’t exclude South Africa from the G20’: Global support rallies behind SA after Trump’s ban
‘US can’t exclude South Africa from the G20’: Global support rallies behind SA after Trump’s ban has become the central message this week. Tensions between Pretoria and Washington DC spiked recently. US President Donald Trump announced that he would bar South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit. Additionally, he threatened the immediate suspension of all US financial support.
However, several politicians and foundations weighed in on the matter. Consequently, they defended South Africa’s right to attend next year’s G20 Summit.
FW de Klerk Foundation Rejects Misinformation
The FW de Klerk Foundation issued a definitive statement on Thursday. Specifically, they asserted that South Africa acts as an equal, sovereign member of the G20. Furthermore, they stated the nation “will not be bullied out of global forums by misinformation”.
Ismail Joosub issued the Foundation’s statement. Directly, it confronted President Trump’s justification for the punitive action. Trump based this on allegations regarding the South African government. He claimed they ignore “horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants”.
This follows a post by Trump on Truth Social. He claimed South Africa was “killing white people”. Moreover, he alleged the state allows farms “to be taken from them” randomly.
In response, the FW de Klerk Foundation declared Trump’s claims “wholly false allegations”. Specifically, they referred to his comments on “genocide” and state-sanctioned land seizures. They called it a “torrent of disinformation”.
“These statements are not only factually incorrect; they are diplomatically untenable,” the Foundation stated. “G20 membership is not determined by the host country… no single state – including the United States – has the authority to unilaterally expel another.”
Additionally, they emphasized that the G20 is a consensus-driven forum. It is not a “private convention where invitations can be withdrawn on a whim”.
Global Support Rallies Behind SA
The sentiment that ‘US can’t exclude South Africa from the G20’: Global support rallies behind SA after Trump’s ban extends beyond borders. Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal posted on X (formerly Twitter). He stated that Trump “seeks to decimate the G20”.
“The US is only presiding over the G20 next year,” Sibal noted. Thus, it lacks the authority to unilaterally exclude any member from participation.
Furthermore, Sibal added that Trump is “abusing” the word genocide “very selectively”. He stated that an open racial tone exists in Trump’s words. Similarly, the German Ambassador to South Africa posted that “South Africa is needed at the table”. He added, “iMzansi ifuneka etafuleni labaholi”. This reiterates his point about South Africa’s necessity at the G20.
EFF Calls Ban a Tantrum
The EFF also spoke out on the issue. They suggested that Trump’s ban is merely a tantrum.
“Despite the US’s absence, South Africa successfully secured a full Leaders’ Declaration,” the EFF noted. Apparently, Trump believed this would collapse without American participation.
Furthermore, the party discussed the handover. South Africa conducted it in a diplomatic manner. Crucially, the handover did in fact occur.
“What Trump is now angry about is not that the handover did not happen,” the EFF argued. Instead, he is upset that it lacked the pomp he expected. This follows his decision to snub the summit. Therefore, the EFF views the Donald Trump G20 ban as a result of “self-inflicted diplomatic embarrassments”.
Government Confirms G20 Participation
This defence follows an initial late-night response on Wednesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration issued it. Subsequently, Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed South Africa’s stance. He stated that the country would continue to participate as a full, active, and constructive member of the G20.
The diplomatic conflict started when the United States chose not to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. This occurred despite invitations to all meetings held under South Africa’s presidency. Later, the US changed its mind.
Weeks ago, President Trump announced he would skip the Johannesburg summit. He argued that South Africa “shouldn’t even be in the G’s anymore”. Allegedly, the country was “going in the wrong direction”.
Additionally, relations were already strained. South Africa maintains a non-aligned stance on global conflicts. Moreover, it holds close ties with Russia and China through BRICS. Finally, its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ worsened matters.
The Handover Dispute
Trump claimed that South Africa refused the handover. Supposedly, they would not pass the G20 Presidency to a senior representative from the US Embassy.
However, Magwenya clarified the situation. The United States was absent from the summit. Therefore, officials duly handed the G20 Presidency instruments to a US Embassy official. This happened at the DIRCO headquarters.
The US government has taken several punitive steps recently. For instance, they boycotted the summit and revoked the visa of former international relations minister Naledi Pandor.
Furthermore, Congress has tabled a new bill. The AGOA Extension and Bilateral Engagement Act (AGOA 2.0) would extend AGOA for two years. However, it specifically excludes South Africa. This links trade benefits to alignment with US strategic interests.
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Conclusion
As the dust settles on this diplomatic row, the message from the international community is clear: ‘US can’t exclude South Africa from the G20’: Global support rallies behind SA after Trump’s ban. The G20 operates on consensus, and the attempt to weaponize the presidency of the forum has seemingly backfired, isolating the US rather than South Africa.
With the G20 Summit 2026 on the horizon, the world will be watching to see if the US administration walks back its threats or risks fracturing the global economic order permanently. For now, South Africa stands not alone, but supported by a world that values multilateralism over unilateral dictates.
Here are two references from South African mainstream media reporting on the global and local support for South Africa following the ban:
1. News24
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Article: ‘Diplomatically untenable’: FW de Klerk Foundation slams Trump’s G20 ban on SA
2. IOL (Independent Online)
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Article: EFF and global diplomats rally behind SA: ‘US cannot uninvite members from G20’
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