The US has written to Pretoria, warning against making a G20 declaration without its presence at the leaders’ summit this weekend.
This is a last-ditch attempt by the US to undermine South Africa’s G20 presidency. Negotiations have been ongoing between Pretoria and other G20 member states to agree on a summit declaration.
The Sunday Times understands that the US has made attempts to bully allies to not agree to a leader’s declaration during the summit.
However, this week French President Emmanuel Macron’s Africa adviser, Jérémie Robert, told South African journalists France was committed to supporting Pretoria, with talks at an advanced stage.
Negotiations are happening under the premise that a declaration can be adopted by all members represented in the meetings. The US has opted for a full boycott of the summit with no representation.
In a diplomatic note seen by the Sunday Times and dated November 15, Washington said it “opposes issuance of any G20 summit outcome document under the premise of a consensus G20 position, without US agreement”.
As of this correspondence, the United States will not participate in the G20 Sherpa Meeting from 16-19 November or the G20 Leaders’ Summit from 22-23 November. South Africa’s G20 priorities run counter to US policy views, and we cannot support consensus on any documents negotiated under your presidency
— Diplomatic note
“If a deliverable is issued under your presidency, it will be framed solely as a Chair’s Statement to accurately reflect the absence of consensus.”
The note verbale states that the US wishes to inform Pretoria of its position regarding G20 consensus documentation and communiques that concern any invocation of the full G20 consensus moniker.
“As of this correspondence, the United States will not participate in the G20 Sherpa Meeting from 16-19 November or the G20 Leaders’ Summit from 22-23 November. South Africa’s G20 priorities run counter to US policy views, and we cannot support consensus on any documents negotiated under your presidency.”
This comes after US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he would not be sending a government delegation to South Africa.
Trump has been peddling misinformation against Pretoria, making false claims of a white genocide in the country.
Trump posted that it was “a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa”.
“Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” Trump said.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio echoed the sentiment on X, claiming: “Afrikaners have been continuously subjected to violent racial discrimination by the South African government. I applaud [Trump’s] decision to not waste taxpayer dollars sending our diplomats to the G20 while this heinous violence continues.”
The Sunday Times understands that news of the US delegation’s and Argentinian President Javier Milei’s non-attendance took Pretoria by surprise. Mexico and Russia’s heads of state had, however, registered their non-attendance.
The South African government was said to have been in contact with US Vice-President JD Vance, co-ordinating their travel and participation in the summit as part of the G20 Troika, which includes Brazil. The US will take over from South Africa in chairing the G20 summit next year. Vance was initially announced by Trump as his replacement to lead the country’s delegation.
Pretoria has been racing against time to salvage the summit after Trump’s announcement.
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana and minister of international relations Ronald Lamola held a media briefing on Monday where they criticised the US, but argued that it would not deter the G20 agenda. The two ministers insisted the US could not wish South Africa away, claiming that the only way Washington would bar them from attending the G20 next year would be by denying them visas.
Pretoria has put its foot down, claiming that it will not travel to the US to hand over the presidency. Lamola said should the US fail to show up for the handover, ‘we will just issue the declaration and the US will decide how they want to continue in the next year’.
“The sherpas are negotiating the leaders’ declaration. We are moving towards deciding the terms of the leaders’ declaration. Negotiations are happening, and in the later stage, in the course of the week, you will hear the outcome,” Lamola said.
“But we are forging ahead to pursue with the countries that are present that we must adopt the leaders’ declaration, because the institution cannot be brought down by anyone. Because if I am absent for whatever reason, if I don’t agree with the agenda and so forth, I must come to the platform and raise my issues with the agenda.”
Pretoria has put its foot down, claiming that it will not travel to the US to hand over the presidency. Lamola said should the US fail to show up for the handover, “we will just issue the declaration and the US will decide how they want to continue in the next year”.
He said other G20 member countries understood the need for development in Africa, adding that their agenda has already been taken to the UN.
While South Africa seemed to be putting on a brave face, the two ministers were less than confident that a declaration would be agreed by the heads of state.
Godongwana explained that two forms of documents could emerge from the meeting, a declaration or a chairperson’s statement. He said the chairperson’s statement did not mean that the South African agenda had failed, arguing that the same process was achieved by other countries during their presidency.
“We may take a soft approach and say, OK, the other colleagues feel differently, chairpersons send us a statement. It’s got the same effect as a declaration, because the only thing is that nobody can contest you much on your content, because the content comes from you as a host country. In that sense, there will be a declaration or a chair’s statement one way or another out of the meeting,” he said.
“The G20 consists of member countries and invited countries. Fortunately for us, we belong to the category of member states, so we don’t need an invitation from anybody. If the US do not want us to participate, the only way they can do it is to decline us a visa.”
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