South Africa says France has disinvited it from G7 gathering in June

As France prepares to host the G7 Leaders’ Summit in June in the town of Évian-les-Bains, South Africa said on Thursday that it has been disinvited from the gathering.

The spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa said they have learned that Paris has had to withdraw its invitation due to sustained pressure from the United States.

Vincent Magwenya said they have been told that the Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited.

French President Emmanuel Macron personally asked Ramaphosa to take part in the G7 during the G20 summit in South Africa in November.

South Africa’s relations with the US have deteriorated dramatically since Donald Trump’s return to the White House last year.

He has made discredited claims of a "white genocide", boycotted the G20 summit in Johannesburg, and has rejected the country’s Black economic empowerment policies.

In addition, the Trump administration has clashed with Pretoria over its genocide case against US ally Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Magwenya said Paris’ decision will not impact "the strength and close nature” of its bilateral relationship with France.

He said the country also remains committed to engaging constructively with the US, adding that relations between the two countries will “outlive the current White House term of office".