G20 Leaders Summit in South Africa to proceed with or without Trump
International Relations & Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said the G20 Leaders Summit will proceed in November, regardless of whether US President Donald Trump participates.
South Africa is set to host the 2025 G20 summit, which will be held in Johannesburg in November 2025. This will mark the bloc’s first gathering on African soil.
Lamola spoke at a media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday, saying there is no clear indication yet on whether the United States will attend, after Trump suggested he might skip the event in protest of what he terms genocide allegations against South Africa.
South Africa holds the rotating G20 presidency for 2025, culminating in a November Johannesburg Summit. Officials say the meeting will focus on inclusive economic growth, food security, and artificial intelligence for sustainable development, framed by Ubuntu-inspired values and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“Trump has made it clear that he may not attend the Summit, so far we have no indication of whether he will be sending a delegation, but South Africa will continue with its plans and the Summit will happen with or without President Trump,” Lamola said.
Addressing the genocide accusations, Lamola insisted the claims were unfounded.
“On assertions of human rights violations as contained in the latest US Human Rights 2024 report, we reiterate that allegations of State-sponsored human rights violations are not factual.”
He also cited rural safety statistics from the South African Police Service to counter claims of targeted violence against a specific community.
For the fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025), six murders were recorded in farming communities.
Lamola noted that the victims comprised three employees, one farm dweller, and two farmers, arguing that the data show rural crime affects everyone on farms rather than targeting a single demographic.
“These statistics are continuously being reviewed every quarter with inputs from all the stakeholders in the rural safety landscape,” he added.
Lamola emphasised that the summit’s agenda remains focused on inclusive growth, food security, and AI for development, guided by Ubuntu and Agenda 2063.
He reiterated that South Africa will press ahead with preparations and will host the summit with or without US attendance.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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