Ramaphosa to Address Nation Amidst G20 Summit Fallout
President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to address the nation tonight at 19:00, following South Africa's successful hosting of the G20 Leaders' Summit last weekend, according to a statement released by the Presidency on Sunday. Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, stated that the address comes after a "successful hosting of the leaders’ summit."
Ramaphosa reportedly felt a sense of "relief and satisfaction" after the high-stakes global gathering. Magwenya described Ramaphosa's mood as "upbeat" after hosting world leaders at the Nasrec expo centre in Johannesburg, marking a significant milestone for South Africa’s leadership on the international stage.
"The president is relieved and particularly pleased that the summit proceeded smoothly, as planned, and satisfied that South Africa succeeded in delivering on the priorities it laid out at the onset of its G20 presidency," Magwenya told News24.
Despite the summit's apparent success, a shadow has been cast by recent developments. On the eve of the summit, the US President Donald Trump’s administration publicly rejected the adoption of the leaders’ declaration and again spread untruths about “bad things happening” in South Africa.
While Ramaphosa brought the summit to a close with praise from several leaders for his successful organisation, Trump announced on Wednesday via his Truth Social platform that South Africa would not be invited to the next summit. Trump accused the South African government of neglecting human rights and targeting Afrikaners – allegations South African leaders have consistently refuted as baseless.
The US assumes the G20 presidency on 1 December and has announced that the next Leaders’ Summit will be held in Miami, Florida, next year.
For Trump to exclude South Africa from participating next year, he would require the support of other G20 members. News24 reported this week that several countries, including Japan and Germany, have voiced their support for South Africa and intend to engage with Trump following his recent pronouncements.
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