Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. (GCIS)
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says she is not concerned about the United States possibly revoking her visa, because she does not travel regularly to that country.
“Even if they revoke my visa, it is fine. I won’t have to go to the US. Actually, the majority of us don’t go to the US; we only go for the UN meeting,” Ntshavheni told journalists on Sunday on the second and final day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The frosty relations between Pretoria and Washington this year — which have seen President Donald Trump amplify unfounded allegations of a white genocide in South Africa — deteriorated further when the US leader and other senior officials boycotted this weekend’s summit of world leaders in Johannesburg, the first one hosted in Africa.
After South Africa — whose year-long presidency of the G20 effectively ended on Sunday — snubbed the US’s attempts to have President Cyril Ramaphosa hand over the baton to a junior official, there are now fears that Washington could revoke or deny visas to South African government officials for next year’s G20 summit.
“If they don’t want us to participate, they will have to tell the 19 other members of the G20 that South Africa cannot participate, and the world will have to watch what the other members of the G20 will do,” Ntshavheni said.
On day one of the summit on Saturday, department of international relations and cooperation spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the government would mark the US as absent after Washington signalled its intention to be represented at a junior level.
The department said it would hand over the G20 presidency at its offices next week via a South African official of equivalent rank to the junior US representative.
Last week, the US revoked the visa of former international relations minister Naledi Pandor. She told Eyewitness News that she had been informed of the decision in an email from the US consulate, but did not understand why her visa had been revoked.
On Sunday, Ntshavheni noted that Pandor was no longer a member of Cabinet, but added that the US had the right to make such decisions.
“If they revoke whoever’s visa, like any other country, when they decide whether you come in, give you a visa, or do not give you a visa, it doesn’t change the price of bread,” she said.
She noted that South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom — which will assume the G20 presidency after Washington — would still have to work together as a Troika [comprising the outgoing, current, and incoming presidencies].
“So we are rock-and-roll in terms of implementation. We are focused on what we have resolved to do and to implement,” Ntshavheni added.
Ramaphosa had demonstrated to the world his capabilities as a leader, successfully steering the summit, she said. “The consensus in all the matters being tabled will push the African agenda to the top. If it were not for the sterling leadership of President Ramaphosa, we would not be here.”
In his remarks closing the summit, Ramaphosa said the greatest opportunity for prosperity in the 21st century lay in the continent, and “harnessing that opportunity will require a strong partnership between Africa and the G20, and indeed between Africa and the rest of the world”.
“Our agreement on a declaration during this summit demonstrates the value of the G20 as a forum that can facilitate joint action on issues of shared concern,” he added.
In a significant mark of success for South Africa’s presidency, the G20 leaders reached consensus on adopting a declaration on Saturday, defying Washington’s demand that none be issued in its absence.