Africa-Press – Botswana. Speaking at the Business20 Forum in Johannesburg, a day after President Donald Trump issued warnings to South Africa over the G20 Summit, Ramaphosa appeared to hit back
“We have become democracies, particularly in the Global South, we have shared the message that we need to have rule of law, we need to embrace values, we need to have good governance. “But in recent times, we have seen how those who are trying to teach us those laws and those values are the very ones who are violating all those values, who are destroying those very values. “And we ask ourselves, what are we expected to do now?” Ramaphosa said without mentioning the US directly.
He added: “We are sovereign countries and we need to be treated as equals. “Our sovereignty needs to be respected. “We need to sit around the table as equals and having the same share of knowledge, the same share of equality, without any bullying the other. “In the past, most of us in the Global South were colonised. “We were not even allowed a moment around at the table. We were not even allowed to be in the room. “And we are now arguing that we would like to be in the room.”
Trump and members of his government, have boycotted the G20 Summit which starts over the weekend. The US President said he would not attend, accusing South Africa of persecuting white Afrikaner farmers.
Yesterday, the Trump administration warned that South Africa, which is chairing the G20, shouldn’t issue a joint statement at the conclusion of the Summit.
According to a Bloomberg report, the Trump administration said no joint statement on resolutions could be issued if the US was not in attendance and in agreement.
South African media today reported that Ramaphosa said he would seek a joint statement of those nations attending the G20 this weekend.
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