South Africa to call for the African Union to get a seat at the G20 summit

South Africa said on Sunday it would push for the African Union to get a seat at the G20, as leaders from the world’s top economies gather in Indonesia next week.

A spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa would help table a framework for the continental group to officially join the club of rich nations.

“It’s important that the collective voice of the continent is represented within that platform,” presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told a press briefing.

“It is our sincere hope that the proposal will find favour and be endorsed by the member countries of the G20.”

Currently, South Africa is the only African country that is part of the G20.

Senegal’s President Macky Sall, who heads the African Union, has previously called for an overhaul of international governance, and urged greater African representation on bodies such as the UN Security Council and the G20.

In October, Sall said multilateralism had to “serve the interests of all” or else face the “loss of legitimacy and authority”.

Both Sall and Ramaphosa are due to attend the G20 leaders’ summit on the Indonesian island of Bali next week.

Meanwhile, In Libya, Leona Blankenstein couldn’t believe what she was hearing when the Libyan coast guard threatened to blast her small plane out of the sky.

The German doctor was in a spotter aircraft for the rescue charity Sea Watch when she encountered the Fezzan patrol boat as it picked up migrants in Maltese waters on October 25.

“Get away from Libyan territorial (waters), otherwise we’ll shoot you by SAM (surface-to-air) missiles,” warned the vessel, one of several Italy gave to Libya under a controversial EU-backed deal to stop migrants reaching Europe.

The Libyans brought the migrants onboard before scuttling their rubber boat with incendiary ammunition, according to Sea-Watch footage.

“It happened in just seconds…Their behaviour is highly unpredictable, so you never know what they are going to do next,” she said.

The warning “was threat enough for me to leave the area immediately,” she added.

Source: News24, Eyewitness News, The South African, image from Twitter: @Nhleiks5

Doctor Mahlaule

Doctor Mahlaule previously worked as a Freelance Journalist at Find-it SA where he was responsible for writing news articles and sharing them on social media platforms. Doctor Mahlaule holds a Diploma in Journalism, BA in Communication Science and a BA Honours in Media Studies. Doctor began his journey as a knowledge Management and Communications Intern at Zenex Foundation. He was responsible for support in event management, social media, website maintenance, writing and brand management. On weekends Doctor attends prison ministry and shares the scriptures with inmates at Krugersdorp prison and plays soccer in the afternoon on some weekends. He has a passion for reading and writing and enjoys going out with friends and socialising in his spare time. He has a one-year-old son and is planning on getting married soon. When asked about what keeps him going, he said: “My family keeps me going. I’m the man I am because I come from a loving home. I have a very supportive family who always encourages me to keep pushing hard.”

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