South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the politics of isolationism will not work as he responded to US President Donald Trump’s decision not to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg this month.
Trump announced that no US leader would attend the summit, which will be held on November 22-23, 2025, citing allegations of discrimination against white people in South Africa. He had earlier said that he would be represented by Vice President JD Vance.
The US president said that white South Africans were being subjected to genocide and that their land, including their land, was being illegally confiscated without compensation.
“No leader in the US government will attend when human rights are not respected,” he said.
The Head of State recently announced on social media that it is a shame that South Africa is hosting this summit, and that this country is not even part of the G20.
The South African government has dismissed the allegations of white-collar killings as baseless and false, saying that no white farmer has been dispossessed of his land without compensation.
Speaking outside the South African parliament, Ramaphosa said the US would be the only country to miss the summit and that its absence would not prevent it from producing good results.
He said: “It is regrettable that the US has decided not to attend the G20 summit. One would think that the G20 summit would not take place because of America’s absence. The G20 summit will take place, all the other heads of state will be here. At the end of the day, we will make important decisions and not attending is their loss.”
The South African president expressed regret that a powerful country like the US is avoiding its important role in solving global problems.
He said, “America should reconsider whether the policy of separatism has any merit, because as far as I know, it has no merit.”
South Africa is hosting the G20 this year. It is the first time the summit of the world’s richest countries will be held on the African continent.
President Trump is not the only one who will be skipping the summit. His friend, Argentine President Javier Tebas, has also said he will not attend, but will send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno instead.
