Gauteng Government Condemns Destruction and Vandalism Ahead of G20 Summit, South Africans Debate
- The Gauteng government is unhappy with the destruction and vandalism ahead of the G20 Summit
- The G20 Leaders' Summit will be held in Johannesburg between 22 to 23 November 2025
- South Africans weighed in on the issues surrounding the vandalism of some of the event's signage
Source: UGC
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – The G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa is less than two weeks away, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing when it comes to preparation for the marquee event.
As the Gauteng province gears up to host the summit between 22 to 23 November 2025, vandals have struck, expressing unhappiness at the upcoming event.
Vandals not only defaced G20 Summit signage near Nasrec but have also reportedly damaged streetlights and traffic lights in the area, something which did not sit well with the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Gauteng government condemns acts of vandalism
The Gauteng government has condemned what it described as ‘malicious and seemingly coordinated vandalism’ of recently revamped public infrastructure.
According to Elijah Mhlanga, Spokesperson for the Gauteng Provincial Government, the infrastructure was revamped in the Johannesburg city centre and Nasrec ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
"These mischievous and cowardly acts of vandalism, which include the destruction of newly installed G20 Summit signage near Nasrec by reported armed assailants and the damage to streetlights and traffic signals along the R55 route, represent a direct assault on our nation and its standing in the world.
He added that this was not a petty crime, but a deliberate and malicious campaign designed to tarnish the image of the province.
Vandals spray paint over G20 signage
The provincial government’s ire was raised after vandals used red spray paint to scrawl over a newly erected sign. The vandals spray-painted curse words across the sign, like ‘f**k G20’ and also expressed unhappiness over the lack of employment in the country by spray-painting ‘jobs?’ across it.
Source: Twitter
South Africans react to vandalism incidents
Social media users weighed in on the government's condemnation of the vandalism, with some pointing out that citizens were frustrated.
@Spiekerish said:
“It's sad to state the obvious, but the millions of unemployed youth have had enough. The G20 won’t help create jobs or attract the investments required for the economy to grow.”
@ardugpc asked:
Now it’s vandals? The desperation is clearly evident of the hardships everywhere. Those in power blatantly ignore, and when there’s some sort of resistance, they call it vandalism. A bit of a pot and kettle situation here.”
@sparky_ct added:
“It’s almost like the public is annoyed with the government about something. Do you think our leaders are shocked and confused regarding this development?”
@lgmngomezulu noted:
“Protests come in all forms, guys. This is one of them. No violence, just paintwork.”
@Vhadiks stated:
“We know who is trying to sabotage the government and the event. Unfortunately, our intelligence is nonexistent.”
@PBilly46335 suggested:
“This G20 will make the world leaders see the real truth about South Africa.”
Other articles about the G20
Briefly News reported that there were other articles about the upcoming G20 Summits.
- In February 2025, Johannesburg started to get a rushed cleanup ahead of the G20.
- US President Donald Trump suggested that South Africa should lose its G20 membership.
- Trump declared that no US official would be attending the event in November in South Africa.
Source: Briefly News
