By Simon Nare
Tensions between South Africa and the United States have escalated after US President Donald Trump said South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit in Miami because of the disputed G20 presidency handover and his long-running allegations of violence against white farmers.
The United States took over the G20 presidency from South Africa on Sunday at the conclusion of the Leaders’ Summit, but Trump’s administration boycotted the gathering and did not send a senior representative to receive the ceremonial handover at the venue.
Instead, South Africa transferred the instruments of the presidency at the headquarters of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to a US embassy official, after objecting on protocol grounds to handing the gavel on stage to a lower-ranking envoy.
In a post on social media late on Wednesday South Africa time, Trump attacked the off-site handover and revived his
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