Ramaphosa Upholds South Africa's G20 Membership Amid US Tensions

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed Donald Trump's threat to exclude South Africa from the G20 summit, emphasizing South Africa's role as a founding member. Despite Trump's false claims against South Africa, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the country's commitment to the G20 framework, valuing ongoing U.S. business engagements.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly countered U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion to omit South Africa from next year's G20 summit, upholding the nation's foundational role in the group. Ramaphosa addressed the issue during a state of the nation speech on Sunday.

The U.S. had refrained from participating in the G20 meeting chaired by South Africa in Johannesburg last November, where Trump reiterated his unfounded allegations against the country's Black-majority government. Trump's claims of genocide against Afrikaners and land confiscation were categorically rejected by Ramaphosa as deliberate misinformation.

Despite the diplomatic strain, Ramaphosa highlighted active involvement of U.S. businesses in G20 events hosted by South Africa, underscoring the importance of maintaining open dialogue within the group's framework.

(With inputs from agencies.)