SA can be both a painful and joyful place at the same time

Our country is often a contradiction in terms: simultaneously bewildering and bewitching. We can put up a show for the world when necessary, only to plunge to a new low point the very next day

- By Judith February

South Africa's hosting of the G20 Leaders' Summit on 22 and 23 November was historic - the first on African soil.

In a world of Trumpian proportions, holding the G20 presidency was always going to be tricky, especially after Donald Trump's orchestrated attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation in the gilt-edged White House earlier this year.

The dust has settled on that meeting, and as the Trump presidency becomes all the more cruel, chaotic and rule-breaking, we see the racism that was on display then more clearly (for those who needed a clearer lens). Trump, in an unhinged post on Truth Social, said all "payments and subsidies" to South Africa would be stopped and "SA will not be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20 meeting". Such predictable immaturity the world should not have to deal with.

The weekend of the G20 also saw a diplomatic brouhaha would the US attend or wouldn't it? Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, whose currency is lies, said Ramaphosa was "running his mouth off" after the President referred to a White House communiqué saying it would send a low-level US delegation to the summit.

In the end there was no US participation, allowing the rest of the world to get on with the business of the G20, like real grownups. There was no Trump distraction, no bullying and civility all around.

No one could have been more relieved than South African G20 sherpa Zane Dangor and team. They deserve our thanks and all the accolades, given the way they represented our country. They and Team SA showed who we can be on our best days. We can do hard things.

Swept away for G20

Ours is a strange country. We swept Johannesburg clean for the G20, calling into question why such cleanliness and efficiency could not be an everyday event for the actual residents of the city.