In a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions, South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has told the United States that the world is “tired of lectures” from those who practice double standards.
The rebuke, delivered in an open letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, signals a dramatic shift in Pretoria’s diplomatic tone and comes as South Africa temporarily withdraws from G20 activities under the current US presidency.
“Secretary Rubio, the world is watching. It is growing weary of double standards,” Lamola said.
“It is tired of lectures on democracy from those who seem to have forgotten that democracy, at its best, must listen as much as it speaks.”
Lamola’s letter accused Washington of hypocrisy in its global messaging on democracy, stressing that South Africa’s path is sovereign and chosen by its people.
“We do not seek your approval for our path. Our path is our own, chosen by our people and guided by our sovereign laws. But we do seek, and we will always extend, a hand of respectful partnership.”
While affirming openness to dialogue, he insisted that respectful partnership must replace unilateral dictates.
“We believe in a world where nations can disagree yet still find common ground,” Lamola wrote, invoking Nelson Mandela’s vision of shared humanity.
The move follows the United States’ decision to exclude South Africa from this month’s first G20 Sherpas’ meeting in Washington despite Pretoria being a founding member of the forum.
South Africa has announced it will sit out the 2026 G20 meetings and return when Britain assumes the presidency the following year.
At the heart of the dispute are US accusations that South Africa discriminates against the white Afrikaner minority, claims made by President Donald Trump and repeated by Rubio.
Pretoria has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated, framing them as retaliation for South Africa’s independent foreign policy positions on trade, human rights narratives, and global conflicts.
The tensions reached a breaking point last month when the US boycotted the G20 summit in Johannesburg, resulting in a disagreement over the handover of the presidency.
The G20, established as an informal forum of the world’s major economies, has no charter or permanent secretariat.
Its agenda is set by the rotating presidency, which organises summits, ministerial meetings and working groups.
While its decisions are not legally binding, they carry significant political weight, making exclusion from its processes a symbolic blow.
