Clayson Monyela Responds to Gareth Cliff’s Swipe at G20 Attendance: “This Is Normal for Summits”

• Clayson Monyela weighed in after Gareth Cliff shared his thoughts on the upcoming G20 summit
• Cliff had taken a jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa after Argentina's president aligned with Donald Trump's decision to boycott the summit
• In the comments, South Africans debated the issue, some praising Monyela and others expressing dissatisfaction

Clayson Monyela, the deputy director-general for public diplomacy in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), has responded to seasoned broadcaster Gareth Cliff’s mockery of the G20 summit.

Cliff first shared his thoughts on the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo's final decision to skip the summit being hosted in South Africa from 22 to 23 November 2025. On Friday, 14 November 2025, he threw a sarcastic jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa after Argentina's President Javier Milei withdrew from the G20 summit in Johannesburg, supporting Donald Trump's boycott. The post was captioned:

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“How’s that G16 looking, Cyril? Maybe it’ll be a nice round number by the time it kicks off.”

At the time of writing, Gareth Cliff had not responded to Clayson Monyela.

Clayson Monyela reacts to Gareth Cliff's jab at G20 attendance

On Sunday, 16 November 2025, Clayson Monyela responded to Gareth Cliff and corrected him. He said all countries will be represented at the G20 summit, except the United States, whose situation is separate. He highlighted that the G20 actually became the G21 with the admission of the African Union.

Monyela informed Cliff that out of the 19 previous G20 summits, only about four had full attendance from all heads of state. The post was captioned:

“Strictly speaking, the G2O became G21 with the admission of the AU. Minus the USA (which has participated in G20 meetings till now), the full complement of G20 countries will be in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Argentina, Russia and China delegations will not be led by their Heads of State (HoS). This is NORMAL for summits. Out of the 19 previous G20 summits, about 4 (mostly virtual) had a full complement of HoS in attendance.”

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Gareth Cliff reacts to Mexican President's decision not to attend G20 Summit: "Dropping like flies"

See the post below:

Social media reacts to Clayson Monyela's response to Gareth Cliff

Social media users jumped into the debate with a mix of pride, frustration and criticism. While some applauded Monyela for standing against misinformation, others were worried about domestic issues, especially the arrival of Palestinians at OR Tambo Airport.

Here are some of the comments:

@NtsakoM_King said:

“And it shall be a success. If one loves their country, they do everything in their power to protect, promote and not shame it. We are South Africans.”

@ChimCham7 remarked:

"Class in session."

@moganetsimolemi applauded:

“You are talking to a wall. Gareth knows the truth. Keep fighting fake news, Clayson.”

@PSAFMophiring criticised:

“Eish Mokone, some of us who have been up in arms for the protection of the sovereignty of South Africa, we have been bitterly disappointed by the Palestinians' chartered aeroplane saga, which some allege is human trafficking. How can a whole @IntelligenceSA, @Khu_Ntshavheni not know that unexpected chartered planes will be allowed in our airspace? I honestly don't think I care about this G20 Summit; in fact, the sooner it ends, the better.”

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@lioneszT suggested:

“Going forward, the RSA President should match their energy of Argentina, Russia and China.”

Gareth Cliff weighs in on Trump’s decision not to attend G20 Summit

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Gareth Cliff also shared his thoughts on US President Donald Trump's decision not to attend the G20 Summit hosted by South Africa.

The G20 is a global forum that brings together the world’s major developed and developing economies to address international economic and financial challenges.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News