Xolisa mabhongo biography of william

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Director-General of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation Zane Dangor speaks to journalists ahead of the G20 Foreign Minister Meeting at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 20, 2025. Session three of the meeting was an engagement on G20 and BRICS issues, co-chaired by Mr Wang QI, China’s G20 Sherpa.

“We want African countries to have space for beneficiation and manufacturing.” The emphasis on critical minerals ties into global energy transitions, where cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements are pivotal.

  • Just Energy Transition (JET) As the world shifts to low-carbon economies, the G20 will work toward equitable transition mechanisms.

    xolisa mabhongo biography of william

    the US."

     US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday he will skip next week's meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies in Cape Town, South Africa, per Reuters. 

    After the new administration took office, the US has shown lukewarm interest in multilateral cooperation, which has also brought the G20 to a very challenging moment, said Zhu Jiejin, a professor of global governance studies at Fudan University.

    “This is worrisome,” he told reporters, underlining the pivotal role of the G20—which accounts for 85% of the world’s GDP—in catalysing progress.

    Mabhongo, who also serves as Deputy Director-General for Global Governance and Continental Agenda in South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, framed the SDGs as a global responsibility.

    • The first meeting that Ambassador Mabhongo had was with the Vice-Foreign Minister of China, Mr Miao Deyu. The consultations thereafter commenced with the 4th South-Africa China Structured Dialogue on Human Rights, co-chaired with Mr Shen Bo, the Director-General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences.

    Rather than delving into political specifics, the discussions emphasized achieving a “just peace,” rooted in international law and humanitarian principles.

    Mabhongo noted that South Africa’s leadership aimed to “build consensus around values rather than divisions,” reinforcing its commitment to inclusive diplomacy and non-alignment in international affairs.

    Presidency Priorities: Resilience, Resources, and Regional Equity

    South Africa outlined four core priorities for its G20 Presidency:

    1. Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience In a world increasingly affected by climate-induced disasters, the focus on resilience seeks to enhance preparedness and response capacities, especially for vulnerable nations in Africa and the Global South.

    2. Debt Sustainability Acknowledging the debt burdens faced by many developing countries, especially post-COVID-19, the G20 under South Africa aims to forge inclusive debt reform mechanisms that promote fiscal stability and sustainable growth.

    3. Critical Minerals and Value Addition in Africa Mabhongo stressed the need to overhaul Africa’s raw material extraction model.

      “We do not want raw materials to be just taken from Africa,” he said. The final session on disarmament and non-proliferation issues was co-chaired by the Mr Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control.

    During the meetings, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to multilateralism, peace, and to the promotion of a just and equitable global order, which gives a voice to the priorities of the Global South.

    He noted that the US absence from G20 meetings will create hurdles for member countries' cooperation and the formation of a cohesive consensus.

    However, regarding the question whether global governance could be paralyzed without the US or whether other members of the international community will strive to find common ground and push for multilateralism, this year's G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be a test, Zhu added.

    South Africa's G20 Sous Sherpas, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo and Advocate Nokukhanya Jele, confirmed that over 30 countries will be represented at the meeting, according to Anadolu Agency. 

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterparts have confirmed their attendance.

    By spotlighting resilience, equitable growth, and the transformation of extractive economies, South Africa seeks to reorient global governance toward a more inclusive and just order.

    Through the Sherpa meetings and other working groups, the G20 Presidency will continue to build momentum ahead of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit later this year, where decisions made in Sun City could shape multilateral priorities for years to come.

    #MultilateralMatters | Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, Deputy Director -General: Global Governance and Continental Agena co-chaired the South Africa-China Consultations on Multilateral Affairs, with his counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, in Beijing on 15 August 2025.

    The Chairs also agreed to keep channels of communication open and to engage, frankly and robustly, on all issues of regional and multilateral concern. He urged G20 nations to “push hard” in the final years leading up to 2030, stressing the interconnected nature of economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity.

    A Platform for Geopolitical Dialogue

    Though the summit was primarily focused on development, the Sherpa meeting also addressed global tensions, including the conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The JET agenda focuses on ensuring that African and developing countries receive the finance, technology, and policy support necessary to adopt clean energy without sacrificing growth.

    Continuity from Previous Presidencies

    South Africa’s agenda reflects continuity with the themes of past G20 Presidencies, particularly those of Indonesia, India, and Brazil.

    The dialogue is an important platform to exchange views, deepen understanding, and promote constructive engagement on human rights and other international issues of mutual interest in a manner that respects the diverse contexts, development priorities, domestic and foreign policy imperatives, and historical trajectories of both countries. Photo: AFP



     
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Thursday to Friday.

    This year's meeting is convened at a critical juncture, amid ongoing conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and is further complicated by the absence of the US.

    Experts suggest that the meeting presents both challenges and opportunities for member countries in finding common ground on complex issues and advocating for a more equitable international order. 

    The two-day meeting marks the first time that an African country presides over the international forum, under the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," according to the Turkey's Anadolu Agency. 

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the meeting of G20 foreign ministers after criticizing host South Africa's policies as anti-American, according to AP.

    The US will be represented by Dana Brown, the deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in Pretoria, AFP reported. 

    Guo Jiakun, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday that we will not comment on the decisions made by the US, when asked if the US absence will turn G20 into G19.

    "We have released information on Foreign Minister Wang Yi's attendance at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in South Africa.  We believe that as the premier platform for international economic cooperation, the G20 needs to advocate the spirit of partnership, pool efforts to promote global economic growth, set the pace in making global governance more just and equitable, and help countries achieve common development and prosperity," said Guo.

    He noted that China will continue to support South Africa's G20 Presidency. 

    Speaking about the US objection of South Africa's G20 theme, South Africa's foreign minister Ronald Lamola told Reuters earlier that "the agenda will stand," adding that all G20 nations had previously agreed on it.

    The forum brought together senior officials from the world’s 20 largest economies to deliberate on pressing global issues, including sustainable development, geopolitical conflicts, and the structural transformation of African economies.

    The meeting served as a crucial checkpoint for the G20’s agenda under South Africa’s leadership, focusing on the acceleration of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), equitable economic transitions, and the strengthening of regional and global cooperation.

    Urgency to Deliver on SDGs

    South Africa’s G20 Sous Sherpa, Xolisa Mabhongo, emphasised the urgency of achieving the SDGs, noting that the world is only five years away from the 2030 deadline.

    "We will not be defocused by this issue (with) ... The meeting underscored the strategic and multifaceted partnership between South Africa and China, which includes regular exchanges of visits and dialogues at all levels.

    #DiplomacyAtWork

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    Absence and G20 Cohesion

    The absence of U.S.

    representation at the Sherpa meeting was noted but did not dampen the spirit of collaboration.

    The G20 Foreign Minister Meeting convenes at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on February 20, 2025.