Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço will not participate in the historic G20 summit scheduled for South Africa this weekend over unspecified reasons.
President Lourenço, who also holds the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), will stay away from the summit for “reasons of greater force,” the Angolan presidency announced Friday in a statement.
This comes twenty-four hours before the historic summit, the first of its kind to be held on the African continent, as South Africa affirmed its readiness to host world leaders.
Meanwhile Tinyiko Maluleke, vice-chairperson of South Africa’s National Planning Commission (NPC), confirmed that all security measures were in place, meeting venues were secured, and the arrival of heads of state and government had already begun.
The National Conference of the President (NCP), an independent advisory body under the authority of the South African president, announced that 130 of the 133 preparatory meetings had been
held.
“This is a historic moment for our G20 presidency,” said Mr. Maluleke.
This summit will mark the culmination of South Africa’s G20 presidency, which began in December 2024, and will bring together 42 countries, including the 20 G20 members, 16 invited countries, and six regional blocs representing Africa, the Caribbean, and East Asia, despite the boycott announced by US President Donald Trump.
The authorities have made security a top priority, with a strict lockdown from November 21 to 24 around the NASREC exhibition centre and the FNB stadium.
Several roads will be closed, affecting the cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni.
South Africa’s G20 presidency will end on November 30, before handing the reins to the United States for 2026.
AC/fss/as/APA