Cabinet weighs in on South Africa's exclusion from G7 summit

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni has shrugged off South Africa being disinvited to the Group of 7 nations meetings in France in June, saying it frees up President Cyril Ramaphosa to get on with other business.

South Africa is not a member of the bloc of the world’s most powerful economies, but has often participated in its meetings as an invited guest.

Despite the French government seeking to downplay retracting its invitation to Ramaphosa, Ntshaveni said on Thursday, it was a matter of record that it had acted under pressure from the United States

While the French government said it has chosen Kenya to attend G7 meetings in Evian in June instead of South Africa in line with the Africa-France summit in that country in May, Ntshaveni said it's no secret the US has forced France's hand.

But she said the US can’t discount South Africa completely.

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"We remain a very strategic partner of the US. We are unavoidable to each other. We cannot wish each other away. We must co-exist and that’s why we continue to engage with the US as a valued partner."

Ntshaveni said despite uninviting South Africa to France in June, the two countries retain strong bonds, evidenced by the investment its government and businesses make in South Africa.

She said South Africa’s non-attendance at this year's G7 meetings is immaterial.

"If the time runs out, non-members are not even allowed to speak. But even when you speak, it doesn’t change the price of bread, because you are not a member, you don’t contribute to decision-making."

She said France has also been trying to convince the US to allow South Africa to participate in G20 meetings in America this year, unilaterally barring a member state from attending over South Africa’s foreign policy and domestic laws.