G20 leadership transition: South Africa to hand over presidency today

by Chumasande Matiwane

South Africa is set to officially transfer the G20 presidency to the United States. The question remains: will this transfer happen today?

According to Zane Dangor, the Sherpa of South Africa’s G20 presidency and Director-General of Dirco, the leadership transition will be a deliberate and low-key event.

Dangor has said that “both governments have agreed to avoid a high-profile event. The agreement is that we should do it low-key. It’s not just a South African issue; the US also doesn’t want a very big handover event”. This quiet exchange comes just days after a diplomatic tension over the US representation at the G20 Summit.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that South Africa has communicated with the US Embassy to express its support for the United States’ desire to assume the leadership of the G20. Although the handover is expected to happen today, it has to occur at the head of state level, or at least the minister who is properly delegated by the President of the United States of America.

With the adoption of the declaration, it is heading towards a positive step in ensuring equal communities and sustainable economies with the progressive resolutions on climate change, financing, and value addition at the source.

This will boost the global South, particularly those in the African continent. The South African government has clarified that it did not deny anyone access, and that the United States chose to be absent on its own accord, as it was the leaders’ summit, and they had every right to be there.

The G20 handover will happen at the Department of International Relations offices between officials of the same rank.

 

Also see: G20 without the US: Ramaphosa calls for debt relief, equality