White House hits back at South Africa over dispute over G20 handover ceremony

JOHANNESBURG: The White House launched a new verbal attack on South Africa at the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg this weekend. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly hit back at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after Pretoria refused to allow a US embassy delegation to attend the summit’s closing ceremony.

The United States will take over the presidency of the G20 next year. But Ramaphosa’s spokesperson told reporters at the summit that his president would not carry out the handover ceremony to a junior diplomat. Washington had asked to send the embassy’s charge d’affaires to the ceremony.

In what is becoming increasingly heated with bitter statements between Pretoria and Washington on several issues around the G20, Kelly told Fox News Digital: “President Ramaphosa initially said he would pass the gavel to an ’empty chair.’ Today, he refuses to facilitate a smooth transition of the G20 presidency. »

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the opening session of the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, November 22, 2025. (Misper Apawu/AP Photo/Pool)

Kelly continued: “This, coupled with South Africa’s efforts to issue a G20 Leaders’ Statement, despite the United States’ consistent and strong objections, underscores the fact that they have used their G20 presidency as a weapon to undermine the founding principles of the G20. President Trump looks forward to restoring the legitimacy of the G20 in the United States’ host year, 2026.”

Trump withdrew all U.S. participation in the summit over his claims that some white South Africans faced racial discrimination.

Today, South Africa’s Chief Rabbi, Dr Warren Goldstein, also lashed out at the G20, speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital, saying: “How is it that in the long list of wishes that make up the G20 Leaders’ Declaration, there is no room to condemn one of the greatest human rights crises in Africa – the continent-wide jihadist war against Christians?”

He continued: “How is it that the first G20 organized in Africa by an African government ignores how Africa – from Mozambique to Mali, including the DRC, Nigeria, Sudan and so many other countries – has become the central front of Islamist terrorism?

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Members of St. Leo Catholic Church take out a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)

“On Friday alone, more than 300 girls and 12 teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Nigeria,” he added. “Who will stand up for these children and save them? The silence of the G20 statement on this and other jihadist atrocities on the continent is a moral shame, revealing the gathering to be a heartless charade that history will judge harshly. God’s condemnation of Cain after his feeble defense of ‘am I my brother’s keeper?’ stands as an eternal indictment of the G20 leaders – “What have you done? Your brother’s blood calls me from the earth.”

42 world leaders and major institutions such as the UN are represented at the summit. Only one of them, Italian President Giorgia Meloni, has addressed the issue of persecution of Christians in recent days – and she did so on Friday, before the summit began. Post on“We call on the Nigerian government to strengthen protections for Christian and all religious communities and prosecute those responsible for these heinous attacks,” she wrote.

The White House could question the validity of the Leaders’ Statement produced at the G20. Ramaphosa probably did not realize his microphone was open as soon as proceedings began on Saturday. Journalists in the media center next to the main summit hall could hear him telling leaders that the final 122-point resolution was ready for approval – even before they discussed it.

The American flag at the G20 media center in South Africa on November 22, 2025 (Paul Tilsley for Fox News Digital)

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As things stand, South Africa has officially called the United States “absent” from this G20 summit. The only American presence here this weekend was the American flag in the media center.

The last G20 summit in South Africa Leaders’ Statement was released Sunday with only reference to religion, noting: “We condemn all attacks on civilians and infrastructure. We further reaffirm that in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, all States shall refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any State and that States shall develop friendly relations among nations, including by promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Fox News Digital contacted the South African government but received no response.