Johannesburg on Fire Ahead of the G20 As Solidarity and the Government Lock Horns
- Trade union Solidarity and the Gauteng Provincial Government are locking horns in the build-up to the G20 meeting
- The meeting is expected to take place in Johannesburg, and tension between the government and Solidarity has formed
- Solidarity hit back after one of its banner advertisements was removed due to its connotations to race, and the Presidency responded to the billboard
Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, parliamentary proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.
JOHANNESBURG — The Presidency has entered the fray between the trade union and Solidarity on social media after their billboard was removed on 10 November 2025.
Source: Facebook
The Presidency's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya responded to the advertisement Solidarity placed in Johannesburg on the @SpokespersonRSA X account. He responded to Lesufi's criticism of the banner, which he slammed. He noted that Solidarity had the freedom to express themselves.
"The world is going to appreciate our hard-won freedoms and rights. Free speech is such a part of our DNA that even former champions of racism and apartheid can continue advocating for exclusion and misrepresenting the country. That's our free South Africa," he said.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Read the X tweet here:
Solidarity responds to the banner removal
Solidarity's CEO, Dirk Hermann, hit back at Lesufi on his @SolidariDirk X account after the banner was removed. Hermanns expressed unhappiness that it was removed.
"This billboard was unlawfully vandalised and removed by the ANC-led Johannesburg City Council. We will not give the ANC its way. The world must know that South Africa is the most race-regulated country in the world," he said.
View the X tweet here:
Source: Facebook
Solidarity puts up another billboard
Solidarity also shared an image of the billboard that was put up allegedly after the first one was removed. Solidarity's Head of Public Liaison, Jaco Kleynhans, shared an image on his @JacoKleynhans X account and said more billboards are expected to come.
View the X image here:
Johannesburg and the G20 Summit
The tension between Solidarity and the Gauteng Provincial government comes in the build-up to the G20 summit, which South Africa will be hosting between 22 and 23 November 2025. South Africa is the first and only African country that will host the G20 Summit.
The United States President Donald Trump recently said that the US will not send anyone to represent the country at the G20 Summit. He said that terrible things are happening in South Africa, referring to allegations of the persecution of Afrikaners.
Gauteng government condemns G20 vandalism
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Gauteng Provincial Government slammed destruction and vandalism in Johannesburg ahead of the G20 summit. This was after vandals damaged the property and defaced it.
They defaced the G20 Summit signage near Nastec and damaged streetlights and traffic lights in the area. Vandals also spray-painted anti-G20 words. The government called the behavious unacceptable in light of the upcoming Summit.
Source: Briefly News
