No single member can decide to bar another country's membership, Pretoria's International Relations Minister has said

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has said the US cannot exclude Pretoria from the December G20 Summit, noting that the country is a founding member.

Lamola was interviewed while in New Delhi, India, for the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations, which is being hosted under India's BRICS chairmanship on 14 and 15 May 2026. The meeting has been convened under the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability (BRICS)".

Lamola expressed his confidence that these high-level deliberations will further cultivate the strategic synergy between BRICS member states, but also discussed the SA-India trade partnership and how the Middle East tensions have impacted proceedings.

When asked how the country is handling its relationship with the President of the US, Donald Trump, the minister admitted that it has been "an unpredictable environment".

"We deal with it as it comes, and as it goes. We have, up to so far, maintained our communication with the White House, and the various facets of the American society, because the American society is multilayered - Congress, ThinkTanks, academia, business sector, and so forth," Lamola said.

"We look at it as a multifaceted society that we need to continue to work with, and strengthen the relations of people-to-people."

He added that the ministry was surprised that the highest number of tourists to South Africa last year came from the US.

"It shows that the strengthening of people-to-people relations is also a very key component of our engagement with the US and also with the cities."

On the matter of the G20 Summit and the uncertainty surrounding South Africa's attendance, Lamola said that it is not Trump's place to dictate whether South Africa can or cannot attend.

"He can't say that we can no longer be in the G20, because we are a founding member of the G20, and no member of the G20 can decide that this country can no longer be a member of the G20.

"What he has done is not to invite South Africa into the G20 summit that will be hosted by the US, but, we are a member of the G20. So, we really don't know what that summit will be, which does not have one of its founding members.

"It is important that the members of the G20 will have to discuss and characterise what that is... I don't know whether you can characterise it as a G20 if South Africa is not there."

Lamola clarified that it is a different situation compared to last year, given that the US was invited, but had chosen not to attend. He said that other countries of the G20, such as Brazil and Russia, are raising concerns about South Africa's exclusion. 

When asked if the development of a BRICS currency was still being discussed, Lamola said: "The talks have been more on the use of local currencies on trade. It is a process that is still ongoing, and we will want to see that being developed, because those who are financial experts say it is cheaper to trade in local currency... So it's indeed something that BRICS has to continue to develop."

It was also reported in the media that Iranian authorities have increasingly singled out the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and have warned of stronger strikes against the country if the United States and Israel resume their attacks.

Speaking of how the tension the two between BRICS countries has impacted proceedings, Lamola said: "There are member states of BRICS who are directly impacted by the conflict, as you are aware, the UAE and Iran, but we do think, and see, this as an opportune platform for us to foster that cooperation, to foster that dialogue for peaceful engagement, even on this conflict that affects directly our members. We see it as a huge platform of interactions, of exchange of ideas, and its resolution anchored on the UN Charter."

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"Conflicts of this nature do take some time, but this platform will further give us an opportunity to persuade all the partners within BRICS that the way to go is through a peaceful engagement and a peaceful negotiation, that the barrel of the gun will not resolve this problem," Lamola said.

Speaking of the SA-India partnership, Lamola said that India is a big global player in terms of technology and agriculture, and it is among South Africa's biggest trading partners.

"They account for almost a fourth or fifth of our trade. We are India's number one trader in Africa, so it's a relationship of goodwill. The relationship between South Africa and India has grown from strength to strength, with South Africa being one of those countries where there's a huge Indian diaspora in the world," Lamola said.

"These cultural people-to-people, but also the trade level between the two countries, make this relationship very strategic, and we look forward to continuing with it, both at the strategic level, in terms of research, development, science and technology, and also skills development.

"We are looking forward to continuing to build on this foundation," he said.

First published by IOL