South Africa Hopes For Trump Visit Ahead Of G20 Summit

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 6 (Bernama-AA) — South Africa hopes that United States (US) President Donald Trump will visit the country later this year for the G20 Summit, which it will be hosting, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya as saying during a media briefing on Wednesday.

South Africa officially assumed the G20 presidency in December, becoming the first African nation to lead the group of major economies.

“We are still hoping that Trump will visit South Africa ahead of the G20 Summit when we finalise the list of heads of state,” Magwenya told reporters in Cape Town.

Magwenya said it remains South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s intention to welcome Trump on a state visit, adding that they hope there will be time for the two leaders to play a game of golf.

He noted that the visit would provide an opportunity for both leaders to engage on a range of bilateral and mutual interests.

“We have been trying to encourage the president (Ramaphosa) to find more time to refine his golf swing so that when he takes President Trump out for a round, he can put up a decent game,” Magwenya said.

He did not provide a timeline for when Ramaphosa would speak with Trump, following the US leader’s recent threats to suspend aid to South Africa over the country’s new land expropriation policy.

On Sunday, Trump warned that he would cut foreign aid to South Africa, claiming on his Truth Social platform that "South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. A massive human rights violation, at a minimum, is happening for all to see.”

Ramaphosa denied the allegations, stating that South Africa does "not confiscate" land.

In a related development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he will not attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg this month, citing concerns over South Africa’s policies.

-- BERNAMA-AA