WASHINGTON-(MaraviPost)-US President Donald Trump has blocked South Africa from attending next year’s G20 summit in Miami, Florida, citing the country’s alleged “horrific Human Right Abuses” against white farmers and its refusal to hand over the G20 presidency to a US embassy representative.

The move has sparked a diplomatic row between the two nations, with South Africa calling Trump’s decision “an insult” and vowing to continue participating in all G20 meetings.

The tension between the US and South Africa began when Trump returned to the White House in January, with him repeatedly targeting South Africa on several issues.

Trump has claimed that South Africa is engaged in a “white genocide” against white farmers, a claim that has been widely debunked as false.

South Africa has denied these allegations, insisting that its G20 membership is decided by the group itself, not by Washington.

According to Trump, South Africa refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior representative from the US Embassy, who attended the closing ceremony.

In response, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “At my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year”.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed regret over Trump’s remarks, stating that the country’s instruments of the G20 presidency were lawfully handed over to a US Embassy official. Ramaphosa’s office condemned Trump’s behavior, calling it “regrettable” and based on “misinformation and distortions” about South Africa.

The US is South Africa’s second-largest single-country trading partner after China, with total goods and services trade between the two countries reaching an estimated $26.2 billion in 2024.

Trump’s decision to bar South Africa from the G20 summit has been seen as a major diplomatic blow, deepening the rift between Washington and Pretoria.

The G20 summit is scheduled to take place in December 2026 at the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in Florida, owned by Trump’s family.

The move has raised questions about the future of US-South Africa relations and the impact on global economic cooperation.

The Maravi Post