Lamola Demands G20 Members Speak Out on South Africa's Exclusion by the US
- International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola addressed South Africa's exclusion from upcoming G20 meetings hosted by the United States
- Lamola made clear that South Africa will neither attend uninvited nor push for a member boycott of the gatherings
- The minister challenged fellow G20 founding members, including Germany and the UK, to take a public stance on the matter
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SOUTH AFRICA — International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has publicly called on fellow G20 member states to address the legitimacy of any declarations produced by a summit that excludes South Africa as a founding member.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York during a forum on South Africa-US relations, Lamola voiced frustration at the silence from G20 partners in response to South Africa's exclusion from meetings scheduled to be held in the United States.
Lamola draws distinction on participation
The minister drew a pointed contrast between past instances where the US opted not to attend G20 gatherings of its own accord and the current situation, in which South Africa is being actively shut out. He stated that South Africa had previously welcomed and extended invitations to the US under those earlier circumstances and that the present exclusion is an altogether different matter.
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Lamola confirmed that South Africa will not arrive at the meetings without a formal invitation, nor will it organise or encourage a boycott among member states. He was unambiguous, however, that an official invitation from the US administration would prompt immediate action, with South Africa prepared to board the first flight from Johannesburg to attend.
G20 declaration legitimacy questioned
Central to Lamola's remarks was a direct challenge to countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom to publicly state their positions on whether a G20 declaration can carry full weight when a founding member has been excluded from the process.
According to SABC News, the New York engagements form part of a wider diplomatic drive by South Africa to outline its foreign policy priorities, reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism, and navigate the growing tensions in its bilateral relationship with the United States.
Lamola's comments signal that Pretoria intends to hold the international community accountable for the integrity of multilateral processes, even as it avoids direct confrontation with Washington over the exclusion.
View Lamola making his remarks on X:
DIRCO responds to visa ban
In a related article, Briefly News reported on DIRCO’s response to the visa restrictions announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Minister Ronald Lamola defended South Africa’s land and racial equity reforms as constitutional measures addressing the legacy of apartheid.
The restrictions followed Rubio’s criticism of the “Kill the Boer” chant associated with EFF leader Julius Malema. Washington has warned that further action against South Africa could follow.
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Source: Briefly News
