Hill-Lewis ‘crying over spilt milk’: Lesufi slams suggestion to host G20 in Cape Town

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has shut down Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis's suggestion that the G20 summit should be held in Cape Town later this year.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed disappointment about the state of Johannesburg during his visit to the city on Thursday.

Hill-Lewis took to X to extend an invitation to host the summit in Cape Town.

“Say the word, President Ramaphosa, and Cape Town will be ready and delighted to host the G20. We will make sure it does SA proud,” he said.

Lesufi argued Gauteng is more than capable of hosting the prestigious event, citing the province's successful track record of hosting major events, including the Brics summit in 2023 and the Fifa World Cup in 2010.

“It can't be that when there is a mishap another province feels it is an opportunity for them to host the event,” he said in an interview with SABC.

“I think they are crying over spilt milk. We need to put our best foot forward. We need to create a memorable G20. We've done that with the World Cup in Gauteng. The opening and closing sessions were held here. We've also successfully hosted the Brics conference, along with many other conferences and sporting events.

“We are ready and capable. We had a mishap, and I personally apologised to the president. We truly believe we are prepared to host the G20 successfully.”

Gauteng has facilities and infrastructure that make the province stand out, he said.

“It's not only about what we are saying. It is based on a stringent evaluation process. The airports, the road infrastructure, the hospitality industry and many other resources we use, all of these make Gauteng stand out.”

Lesufi attributed the '"mishaps” in G20 preparations to miscommunication involving other institutions. 

“The mishap that occurred this time was related to the communication we needed with all the institutions because there were role clarifications during Brics regarding what the provincial government can do, what local government can do, and what national government can do.

“We are convinced we presented a plan to prepare for the G20 and all the meetings and that plan was accepted. We were encouraged to go ahead, but the mishap the president raised with me was also raised with the mayor, and we said it would not happen. However, that does not mean we are not capable of hosting the G20.”

He said they are prioritising everything to ensure they are ready for the G20, adding all provinces are involved in planning and preparation for the event.

“We have identified 13 things we call G13, and we have to attend to all of them. But we are not selfish as Gauteng. We have the right to host the conference, and we said let's share it with everyone.

“The mayor of Cape Town is mistaken because there are meetings in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Western Cape. There are meetings in Cape Town we have opened, and we felt we must not be selfish and say it’s a Gauteng event.”

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