Minister Ronald Lamola Excited for G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting: “A Theatre of Engagements”

• Despite the fracas between the United States and South Africa a US representative will be in the country this week and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola
• The G20 member countries' foreign ministers will attend a meeting in the build-up to the G20 summit
• This is despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that he will not attend the G20

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG— Although the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not attend the G20 summit in November, the US will send a representative to attend the foreign ministers meeting, and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola is hopeful.

What is happening in Johannesburg?

According to SABC News, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that the US Treasure Secretary Scott Bessent will be among the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors who will meet in Cape Town in the Western Cape on 26 February.

Read also

Starlink deal in jeopardy after President Cyril Ramaphosa accuses Elon Musk of holding racist views

Foreign Ministers will also be in attendance in a build-up to the main summit which will be held in November. The summit's theme will be solidarity, equality and sustainability. Recently, the European Commission’s president Antonio Costa praised South Africa's leadership for the summit ahead of the South Africa-European Union Bilateral Summit this year.

Lamola said that it is an opportunity for the global foreign ministers to meet, where the issues of geopolitics will be at the centre of the meeting. He said this is an opportunity to create a bridge between the global South and the global North.

"It will be a theatre of engagements and we are looking forward to it," he said.

What you need to know about the US and SA

• Relations between the two trading partners soured after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order awarding Afrikaners refugee status amid alleged persecution
• The order received severe criticism and Lamola lambasted the US government for issuing it
• Afriforum, which has been campaigning for US assistance, did an about-turn and rejected the offer
• The Economic Freedom Fighters cried foul and demanded that citizens who accepted the offer must have their citizenship taken away

Read also

Over 300 white Christian leaders accuse US government of cheap political points, SA stans

What did South Africans say?

South Africans commenting on SABC News’s Facebook page were unmoved by the US's involvement in the G20 summit.

Sapho Ngwenya said:

"Attendance by the US is optional. The Summit will proceed with or without them."

Evra Motebejane said:

"This America thinks they own the world."

Thuto Mgijimi Khumalo said:

"They realise now that with or without America the show will continue."

Matiya Sense Mlangeni said:

"We can survive without Washington."

Edwin Molebale said:

"The US is becoming a laughing stock because of Trump's arrogance."

A look at Donald Trump's dealings with SA

In a related article, Briefly News took a look at the relationship between Donald Trump and the South African government since he became president. During his first term, Trump issued a directive to his former secretary of state to investigate farm killings.

His second term also started with him cutting aid to South Africa after Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act. He followed that with an Executive Order that opened the door to Afrikaners as refugees.

Source: Briefly News