Trump U-Turn places the US back in G20 summit

'There should be no bullying of one nation by another,' Ramaphosa said after US warning against joint G20 leaders' statement

- Hasina Kathrada

There was high drama on Thursday night when President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed South Africa had received a formal notice from the United States confirming that it has changed its mind and now intends to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa made the announcement while hosting European Union leaders at the Sandton Convention Centre, welcoming the decision as a positive sign because boycott politics never works.

The shift comes a day after President Donald Trump warned South Africa against handing over the G20 Social Declaration to leaders this weekend. The warning raised questions about Washington's stance on South Africa's people-centred agenda.

Ramaphosa's confirmation now places the United States back in the room for the weekend negotiations at Nasrec, where South Africa is pushing for stronger action on inequality, gender justice and global cooperation.

South Africa closed the G20 Social Summit on Thursday with far more confidence than the geopolitical noise surrounding it suggested.

Less than 24 hours before Ramaphosa stepped up to receive the Social Declaration in Ekurhuleni, the United States had warned Pretoria against pursuing a joint G20 leaders' statement at this weekend's summit.

Instead of being boxed in by the intervention, Ramaphosa used it to sharpen his message and assert South Africa's leadership.

His response drew applause and set the tone for a presidency determined not to be intimidated by power politics.

Ramaphosa did not mention the United States by name, yet his reply was unmistakable.

"There should be no bullying of one nation by another. We are all equal," he said, and applause broke out across the room. His tone sharpened as he argued that global governance could not be sustained on unwritten rules that assign feasts to some countries and scraps to others.