Will Modi take up South Africa’s cause with ‘good friend’ Trump: Congress

The political ripples from Washington have reached New Delhi. With US President Donald Trump announcing that South Africa will be barred from attending next year’s G20 summit in Miami, the Congress on Friday questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the self-styled champion of Africa and the Global South, will intervene on behalf of a nation long regarded as a pillar of the continent.

Trump’s decision, made public on Wednesday, comes in response to what he described as South Africa’s alleged mistreatment of a US government representative during this year’s G20 summit hosted by Pretoria. In a series of forceful statements on social media, the former Republican president declared that South Africa “will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20” and that all US payments and subsidies to the country would be immediately halted.

Trump framed the move as a consequence of Pretoria’s refusal to hand over its G20 hosting responsibilities to a senior US embassy representative, and he further claimed, without evidence, that white Afrikaners had faced violent persecution — a charge emphatically rejected by the South African government.

In New Delhi, the Congress voiced strong objections to what it described as a unilateral and unjust snub. Speaking on X, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh reminded the world that South Africa has been part of the G20 since its inception, by virtue of being the largest economy on the African continent, not as a favor from the United States. “It was very much present at the very first G20 Summit held in Washington DC under President George W. Bush and has been a valued presence in all subsequent summits,” he noted.

Ramesh highlighted the historical and strategic ties binding India and South Africa. Both nations are part of the original BRICS group alongside Brazil, Russia, and China, as well as the IBSA and BASIC coalitions, each emphasizing cooperation among developing economies. “It is often recalled that an Indian lawyer went to South Africa in the late 19th century and returned home as a revolutionary, ultimately leading India’s struggle for independence,” he said, invoking the enduring legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. India’s decades-long campaign against apartheid and the iconic status of Nelson Mandela in India further underscored the depth of this bond.

“Prime Minister Modi is the self-proclaimed champion of both Africa and the Global South,” Ramesh wrote. “Will he take up South Africa’s cause with his good friend in Washington and ensure that it receives its rightful invitation to the next G20 Summit?” he asked pointedly, suggesting that India’s historical and diplomatic connections imbue it with both moral authority and responsibility in the matter.

Trump’s announcement has drawn global attention not only for its bluntness but also for the stark geopolitical message it sends. By barring South Africa from the G20, the US is signaling a recalibration of its approach toward nations hosting global forums, while casting a spotlight on the complex interplay of history, diplomacy, and national interest that continues to define South Africa’s engagement with the wider world.

As the debate unfolds, all eyes are now on New Delhi and whether Modi will respond to the Congress’s challenge, balancing India’s historical ties with South Africa against the contemporary realities of global diplomacy.

With PTI inputs