By Sherwin Bryce-Pease

Outgoing G20 President, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva formally handed over the reins of the Group to President Cyril Ramaphosa at a closing ceremony of the Leaders’ Summit in Rio De Janeiro earlier yesterday.

This is a significant milestone for SA, the first time an African nation will chair and host the G20 at the Heads of State and government level. And a fitting transition between two powerhouses of the global south.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva says, “We have a responsibility to do better. It is with this hope that I pass the mallet of the Presidency of the G20 to (South African) President Ramaphosa. This is not a common handover of the Presidency as it is a concrete expression of the historical, economic, social and cultural links that unite Latin America and Africa. Comrade Ramaphosa, we wish you success in leading the G20. SA can count on Brazil to provide a Presidency that goes beyond what we can imagine.”

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