by LUKE ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE United States (US) President, Donald Trump set an acid test for South Africa, that Pretoria will not be invited to the US-leg of the G20 Summit in Miami, Florida in 2026.
South Africa is the only G20 member in Africa.
The announcement overshadowed the resounding success of the G20 summit South Africa hosted in Johannesburg on Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 November 2025, without the participation of the US.
Donald Trump was anxious and envious of South Africa’s success as the world leaders descended into South Africa and hurt that South African protocols refused to allow President Ramaphosa to handover the G20 gavel or baton to a junior US embassy official.
The correct protocol was that the gavel must be handed to the President of the country taking over the G20 chairmanship, but US President Trump did not attend the South Africa leg of the G20 summit, and no US official participated in the G20 Summit.
The official only arrived at the end of the summit just to receive the baton from the incumbent South African President.
The official was handed the gavel from the embassy in South Africa by an equivalent diplomatic level official. Trump spat fire through his social media and White House Press secretary.
The US did not attend the G20 summit in South Africa, accusing South Africa of genocide against white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch, French and German settlers, with their farms ‘randomly taken’, some kind of tit-for-tat response to the Israeli-Gaza genocide case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Further South Africa joined the BRICS body of Brazil, Russia, India, China, who are viewed as Global South, as opposed to Global North of Europe, America and a few rich countries dotted across the globe.
The United States want South Africa to withdraw the ICJ case against Israel, despite confirmatory genocide by the United Nations, with over 67,183 civilians killed by Israeli being supplied intelligence by America, especially weapons and diplomatic support for Israel.
Although the US itself was unlikely to take the Israel case to ICJ, South Africa had thought the US would support an international treaty, falling within the trappings of its global influence, and for fair and balanced international relations.
When would taking a matter to court be condemned?
The US thinks South Africa is an underling of the US empire. That South Africa cannot speak to China. The US must do so on its behalf. That South Africa’s economy remains in the hands of white citizens, who used to oppress black citizens.
That South Africa should have stayed off the Israeli-Gaza conflict to avoid the Grapes of US Wrath. That South must look down on China, Russia and other African countries.
That the friends of the US should be the friends of South Africa and accordingly enemies of the US be enemies of South Africa too.
No country would accept that. It is trite law that South Africa is a free independent country, free to set its own agenda and foreign policy.
However, local South African media analysts warn South Africa of the consequences of US deaconry. Instead of being vocal and standing firm, on trite principles, local media response is that ‘South Africa denied US accusations as distortions and misinformation’, some placid way of responding.
They warn that more black people would lose jobs as white businesses will be affected by the spate of US tariffs and decisions.
South African media houses are not firm that there is no white genocide in South Africa, that there is no random farm seizures. Where is the genocide? They do not say that pointing out acts of genocide to an international court is the best thing to do.
In fact, that case opened the world to the worst human rights abuses since the World Wars. That South Africa did not condone Hamas.
South African media and business lay more weight on the impact which the US posture has on South Africa economy. The “U.S – South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025” bill sponsored by Senator Ronny Jackson of Texas will be passed without a voice from South African business and media.
Instead, Professor Jeffrey Sachs illuminated the situation and defended South Africa, while local media and business are mute.
In many ways South Africa echoes the rest of Africa and ostracizing South Africa has an impact on the rest of Africa, especially south of the Equator.
The US is casting a wrong image of itself on Africans, and perhaps African Americans as well. South African geopolitical position should be strong enough to worry the US, particularly the sea route round the Cape.
The US assumes Africans are weak. Black people have no clear understanding of what is good about the USA? While white citizens apparently worship the USA, the black populations are nonchalant.
The perspectives are totally different. South African foreign policy will not be altered by US stance, even if it means a bout of sanctions.
The acid test is whether the rest of the G20 countries will defend South Africa. If they defend South Africa, the USA loses as world leader.
If they do not, then the boundaries are re-set to exclude Africa. The generic is that Western countries will not oppose the US. If the members of the G20 go along with the USA, then multilateralism is condemned. When people and nations fear opposing a world leader, that attaches a character of dictatorship on the global scene.
As to South Africa there is little the country can do but leave it up to God. To add salt to the wound, South African economic policy of relying on attracting foreign investors, particularly from the USA and other G20 countries, did not attract enough significant foreign investments.
Black Africans are up in arms because the economy has been sluggish. Proposals to steer the economy out of stagnation have fallen on deaf ears.
The correct response is to ignore the USA, say little and do not engage in the rhetoric on social media but build your own economic base from within.
This is also the message to other African countries, who are scared of speaking out and who think they have no capital.
They have. The countries must look inwards, organize own capital as proposed on www.organizecapitals.com
– CAJ News