South African leaders across the political spectrum have condemned the U.S. decision to boycott the upcoming G20 summit, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling the move a “loss” for Washington and opposition figures decrying the baseless claims about the country that prompted the snub.
President Ramaphosa responded firmly to the U.S. absence, stating, “In my experience in politics, boycotts never really work.
They have a very contradictory effect.” He assured that the summit would proceed without the U.S., emphasizing that “all other heads of state will be here… and their absence is their loss.”
The boycott was announced by former President Donald Trump, who cited widely rejected claims of violent persecution and land confiscation targeting South Africa’s white minority.
