Lamola: SA did not deny US access to G20 Summit — presidency handover can happen anywhere in South Africa
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.
Image: G20 South Africa/ X
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says the South African government acknowledges that the United States has a right to be represented and participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place in Johannesburg, but Washington’s representative who receives the presidency at the summit must be at the appropriate level.
IOL reported on Saturday that the South African government had revealed that the United States would not be allowed to participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit by sending its embassy’s chargé d’affaires to receive the presidency gavel from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Clarifying South Africa’s position, Lamola said the United States remains welcome to send “anyone”, provided the envoy is of a senior level.
“We did not deny anyone access. The United States is a member of the G20 and if they want to be represented, they can still send anyone at the right level. It is the leaders’ summit. The right level is the head of state, a special envoy appointed by the president of that country, or it could also be a minister.
“We have always been open. So we have not denied anyone. What we have said, because it’s an officials level in terms of that issue, is that Dirco accepts the fact that the US is going to be taking over this platform of the G20, and we welcome that they want to take it over. They can come at our offices and the right level of officials will hand over the G20 to the American officials.”
Lamola said US embassy officials, led by the chargé d’affaires, are allowed to participate in the G20, but the chargé d’affaires cannot be the one to receive the G20 presidency from South Africa during the summit.
“It’s up to them, but the issue of handover — the issue of handover — the president of the Republic of South Africa will not be handing over to the chargé d’affaires from the US. We will be handing over to the US in the Dirco offices, or anywhere they may want us to arrange within the borders of the Republic of South Africa,” said Lamola.
‘A breach of protocol’
On Saturday, IOL reported that Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed that US representatives would not attend the summit.
“No, they are not attending. We have made our position very clear. This is a breach of protocol, what they were suggesting. You cannot have a head of state handing over the presidency and the leadership of such an important, premier forum for macro-economic issues and other related issues being handed over to a junior embassy official,” Magwenya said.
“I mean, it’s a breach of protocol. It has never happened before and it was never going to happen for the first time here in South Africa.”
In diplomatic practice, a chargé d’affaires is the lowest-ranking head of mission, typically appointed only when a country does not have an ambassador in place. Unlike an ambassador or minister, a chargé d’affaires does not present credentials to a host head of state and is generally viewed as a temporary or junior-level representative.
South Africa considers the G20 presidency handover a high-level ceremonial event, prompting concern that the US was downgrading its participation by assigning a junior envoy.
US marked absent
IOL also reported that Lamola's spokesperson Chrispin Phiri also told reporters on Saturday that the department had officially recorded the US as absent, shifting the summit’s focus firmly onto those in attendance.
“The United States is not attending. We will mark them absent. And we have marked them absent,” Phiri said.
“The whole world is here and that’s what we want to focus on — our agenda. Those who are not present are not present. It is what it is.”
The United States is scheduled to take over the G20 presidency from South Africa.
Diplomatic tensions deepen
IOL reported on Friday that the US had quietly reversed its earlier total boycott announcement by President Donald Trump, informing Dirco that it would now send a small delegation led by its chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, Marc D. Dillard.
The United States currently does not have an ambassador in Pretoria. Ambassador-designate Brent Bozell III is expected to assume the post left vacant by Reuben E. Brigety II, who resigned effective January 10, 2025, following the change of presidential administration.
A diplomatic note from the US Embassy to Dirco, seen by IOL and numbered 3023/25, confirms the shift. The note states that Dillard “will head the US delegation” and will “participate in the G20 presidency handover ceremony as part of the closing session on November 23.”
The embassy also requested accreditation for an eight-member delegation, including plenary and viewing-room delegates, led by Dillard.
South Africa has viewed the move as a diplomatic slight, saying it expected a senior-level representative given the significance of the presidency handover.
The latest development has further strained ties between Pretoria and Washington, following remarks by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who accused Ramaphosa of “running his mouth,” sparking outrage in South Africa.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News