Lamola welcomes Trump’s decision to send Vance to G20
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has welcomed United States President Donald Trump’s decision to send Vice President JD Vance to the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November.
Trump confirmed that he would skip this year's G20 in South Africa.
The US president had previously said he was unlikely to go, citing debunked claims of white citizens being systematically persecuted and killed in the country.
"I won't be going; JD will be going. Great vice president, and he looks forward to it," Trump said last week.
Relations between South Africa and the United States plunged to a new low after Trump took office, expelling Pretoria's ambassador in March.
Trump later imposed 30% tariffs on exports from South Africa, which had been negotiated for a reduction to avoid potential job losses.
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Among the sticking points in bilateral ties is South African legislation intended to redress apartheid's race-based discrimination by promoting black business ownership and the redistribution of farmland still mainly in the hands of whites.
Lamola told the SABC that he looks forward to engaging with Vance during the summit.
He added that Trump’s absence would not derail the G20 agenda.
“We also know that he is reluctant to travel a long distance. But I believe that the White House can shed more light on his reasons.
“We believe that the G20 will still be able to produce the ambitious outcomes. We don’t want to be in any conspirational or second-guessing,” said Lamola.
