WATCH | Ramaphosa Presses Trump: ‘Don’t make me hand over G20 to an empty chair’

Ramaphosa

Washington – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday he expected US counterpart Donald Trump to attend a Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg in November despite a showdown at the White House.

“I expect him to be coming to South Africa,” Ramaphosa told reporters in Washington after the meeting.Ramaphosa said he noted to Trump the US role in creating the club of the world’s largest economies and pointed out that the United States assumes its helm in 2026.”It’s important that the United States should continue playing a key role,” Ramaphosa said.”I want to hand over the presidency of the G20 to President Trump in November, and I said he needs to be there. I don’t want to hand over the presidency of the G20 to an empty chair,” he said.

Trump ambushed Ramaphosa during the meeting with a video that he purported showed a “genocide” against the white minority in the country that was once under apartheid rule.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this year boycotted a G20 meeting of foreign ministers in Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa tried to put a brave face on the White House meeting, saying that the two leaders “didn’t dwell” on the issue of violence against whites during their lunch.

He said that Trump agreed to meet him again in the future and that US and South African officials would hold talks on trade issues.

“So all in all, I do believe that our visit here has been a great success,” he said.

“We’ve been able to achieve what we set out to achieve, re (regarding) engagement with the US.”

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