Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 13 November 2025 | 14:30 CAT

:📸 Tensions and diplomacy on display as President Trump’s G20 boycott looms, President Ramaphosa prepares to host world leaders in Johannesburg, reaffirming South Africa’s role on the global stage.

The decision by US President Donald Trump to boycott the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg has triggered widespread condemnation across political and diplomatic circles, with analysts calling it a “short-sighted move” that could ultimately strengthen South Africa’s global standing.

Political analyst Roland Hanwood told Radio Islam International that Trump’s latest remarks, reviving false claims of a “genocide of white South Africans” and his directive barring any US officials from attending, mark a new low in Washington’s diplomatic posture towards Pretoria.

“The President has from the beginning been quite angry in his attitude towards South Africa, perhaps I’m putting it too nicely. He’s been belligerent despite what people have tried to explain to him,” said Hanwood. “He seems to have made up his mind that this is really a bad place, a terrible place, to use his own words.”

Hanwood noted that while Trump’s refusal came as a shock given that Vice President J.D. Vance had already finalised his arrangements to represent the US, the move could have unintended consequences. “It’s really bad timing for South Africa as the host country to suddenly get this brash announcement,” he said. “But sometimes when you’re on the receiving end, you may actually benefit.”

He explained that the summit remains significant, with “67 heads of state confirmed to attend,” including leaders from Brazil, India, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “Mr. Trump may be the President of the United States, but he’s not the king of the world,” Hanwood quipped, suggesting that the absence of the US might create stronger solidarity among other nations, equally tired of the type of politics Trump is playing.”

On the domestic front, Hanwood urged South Africa to seize the moment to demonstrate its capacity to host large-scale global events successfully. “We can demand as citizens that our government puts its best foot forward,” he said. “But it’s disheartening that only now, ahead of G20, certain areas are being spruced up. Our citizens deserve the same level of care every day.”

He added that the summit has exposed two weaknesses: “how we care for our own citizens and how we manage our diplomatic efforts.”

Despite the diplomatic rift, Hanwood believes the G20 offers South Africa an opportunity to reaffirm its leadership in the Global South, proving that, even without US participation, collaboration and progress can thrive on the world stage.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Roland Hanwood.