The African National Congress has accused Washington of treating Pretoria with no respect

The African National Congress (ANC) has said it hopes G20 leaders will press the administration of US President Donald Trump to reverse Washington's decision to exclude South Africa from the group's summit in Miami next year.

This follows Trump's remarks that South Africa will not be invited to attend the summit. This led to criticism from Pretoria. ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Thandi Moraka told IOL News that the party has established a commission to focus on international relations issues, particularly the strained ties between South Africa and the US.

Moraka spoke to the publication on the sidelines of the ANC's national general council (NGC) meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, on Tuesday. This is where the party is reviewing its performance over the current term.

"South Africa's foreign policy, especially regarding diplomatic relations with other countries, remains independent," she said. 

"We continuously evaluate our diplomatic ties with countries like the US whenever we engage with them."

Her comments come after South Africa hosted the G20 summit in Johannesburg in late November. This was the first time the event was held on the African continent. However, the US did not attend.

"We held a successful G20 summit as a country, and you saw us reaching out to the US to reset our diplomatic ties," Moroka said.

Moraka, who also serves as deputy minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, added that the US administration has been spreading "serious disinformation" about South Africa.

"We also saw a high-level delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa travel to the White House to explain that what is being portrayed as genocide in South Africa does not exist. We have tried to reach out to the US."

Trump has repeatedly claimed that white South Africans are being targeted and that land is being expropriated from white farmers. However, the South African government has consistently rejected the claims.

"They continue to treat us as a country that does not need to be respected," Moraka said. 

"In terms of our foreign policy and our sovereignty, we must be respected, and we must champion our national interests."

She confirmed that a commission is examining international relations matters, including the current tensions with Washington. "There is a subcommittee and a commission dedicated to international relations that is reflecting on these issues," she said.

Moraka added that the South African government remains committed to maintaining diplomatic ties with the US despite the friction.

"We need to continue reaching out to the United States and indicate that we are willing to strengthen our diplomatic relationship. We have had relations with the US for a long time, and we must continue those engagements."

Trump has maintained that South Africa will not be invited to the Miami summit. But Moraka insisted he does not have the authority to decide G20 participation. "In terms of G20 membership, we are a group of 20 - not a group of 19 or a group of 80," she said.

She added that it is up to G20 member states to "speak sense" to the US administration. "If the US excludes South Africa from its G20 presidency activities, then the regulatory framework of the G20 must be reviewed," she said. 

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"You cannot invite and uninvite member states based on personal feelings."

"We hope G20 member states will rise to the occasion and speak some sense to the United States that South Africa is a full member of the G20, and there is no way we can be excluded from the activities of its presidency," Moraka added.

First published by IOL