- US House mulls reevaluation of relations with South Africa
- Measure criticizes South Africa’s ties with Hamas, China, Russia
- Experts doubt bill will jeopardize crucial US-South Africa cooperation
Amid tensions between the two countries, the United States House of Representatives is currently deliberating on a measure that proposes a reevaluation of the nation’s relationship with South Africa.
It is believed that the purpose of South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor’s recent visit to Washington, DC, was to inform the US strategic community of Pretoria’s stances on significant areas of divergence from Washington.
The following is additional information regarding the US measure, recent tensions, and the importance of bilateral cooperation.
Concerning what does the South Africa measure in the United States Congress pertain?
House of Representatives introduction of the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act occurred on February 6.
The bill states: “The South African Government has a history of supporting malign actors, including Hamas, a Foreign Terrorist Organisation designated by the United States and a proxy for the Iranian regime, and continues to pursue closer ties with the People’s Republic of China (‘PRC’) and the Russian Federation, in contrast to its stated stance of nonalignment.”
The document asserts that the African National Congress (ANC) has maintained diplomatic relations with Hamas ever since its inception in 1994.
Members of the South African government and ANC leaders are charged with making anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, according to the bill. This cited a statement issued by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation subsequent to the attack, which attributed its origins to the “continued illegal occupation of Palestine” by Israel.
The bill documents occurrences in which South African leaders expressed disapproval of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and engaged in diplomatic relations with Hamas and Iranian leaders, including Pandor.
South Africa’s interactions with the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as its “robust relationship with Russia” that “extends across military and political space,” are also detailed in the law. The United States and China are the two largest trading partners of South Africa. South Africa, likewise, serves as the principal trading ally in Africa for both the United States and China.
Within 120 days subsequent to the enactment of the measure, and contingent upon its success, US President Joe Biden is obligated to present a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House and the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate, detailing the outcomes of the reassessment of relations. While the bill has yet to be voted on, it was approved by a voice vote in the House Committee of Foreign Affairs last week.
Could the bill jeopardize relations between the United States and South Africa?
Probably not, according to experts.
“It seems extremely unlikely that this bill will pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the president,” said Joel Samoff, a retired adjunct professor at Stanford University’s Centre for African Studies. Recent research by Samoff has examined the intersection of politics and education in Africa, focusing on South Africa.
Samoff stated that both the United States and South Africa consider their relationship vital and that he anticipated they would strive to preserve it. He added that he believed Pandor’s visit to the United States was intended to defuse animosity between the United States and her country.
Samoff characterized the US measure as a “symbolic act rather than a legislative act” that was introduced to convey the displeasure of Washington policymakers and legislators regarding South Africa’s decision to petition the International Court of Justice.
He elaborated that this is due to the fact that “politics are politics” and both nations are subject to political pressures to progress in different directions; however, “the relationship is significant enough to warrant its protection.”
What response has South Africa given?
US Congress members and Pandor met in Washington last week to discuss the fraught relations.
Pandor stated in an interview with Mike Hanna of Al Jazeera, “There is almost an implication that South Africa must adopt the United States’ stance when it holds a particular one.” He added that other nations holding the same stance as South Africa might be treated in different ways. “I am uncertain as to whether it is for this reason or another that we are Africans.”
She postulated that the bill’s introduction could be attributed to South Africa’s position regarding Israel’s invasion of Gaza and the country’s December 29, 2023, petition to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel on the basis of genocide.
She noted that a “number of resolutions” have referenced Washington’s “concern” regarding South Africa’s decision to bring Israel before the ICJ. She cited a bipartisan letter signed by 200 legislators in January. She addressed the Biden administration, which denounced the hostile genocide allegations levied by South Africa against Israel at the ICJ.
Pandor further stated that the recent bill’s claim that the ANC “has a partnership of some kind with Hamas” is “completely false.”
Furthermore, the measure pertains to South Africa’s non-aligned position regarding Russia and Ukraine, she continued. “Our foundational foreign policy philosophy is that we perpetually pursue peace and negotiation.” Pandor stated, “The Freedom Charter of South Africa obligates us to perpetually pursue international peace and friendship.”
What other recent challenges have South Africa and the United States encountered?
On a Tuesday, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace inquired about Pandor’s assessment of the South Africa-US relationship. In response, she stated that it is “above six with the executive and below six with the legislators” on a scale of zero to 10.
Recent occurrences have strained the diplomatic ties between the two nations. The United States ambassador to South Africa levied allegations in May 2023 that the nation supplied Russia with weaponry for its conflict with Ukraine via a cargo vessel associated with a sanctioned company, which clandestinely docked at a naval installation in close proximity to Cape Town.
This prompted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to conduct an independent investigation, which concluded in September 2023 that “no evidence” supported allegations that South Africa supplied armaments to Russia. Ramaphosa stated that the allegation “damaged our reputation, economy, and currency significantly; in fact, it tarnished our reputation.”
A South African official stated in August 2023 that the nation would not yield to US pressure to cease utilizing Huawei equipment on its networks.
In what ways is collaboration between South Africa and the United States crucial?
The United States’ largest trading partner in Africa is South Africa, receiving $9.3 billion value of American exports in 2022. Six hundred American companies operate in the country. The United States and South Africa have entered into a number of cooperative trade agreements.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was ratified by the United States Congress in 2000. Over 1,800 products from sub-Saharan African nations are granted duty-free access to the United States through AGOA. In January 2022, the United States withdrew several nations from AGOA on account of human rights violations, including Mali, Guinea, and Ethiopia. The United States declared its intention to withdraw Uganda, Gabon, Niger, and the Central African Republic in October 2023. The implementation date of these proposals was January 2024. The implicit threat of possible expulsion from the AGOA also accompanies the US-South Africa relationship.
However, “it seems improbable, at least under the current administration, that the United States would do anything to jeopardise AGOA,” Samoff stated. Although much discussion surrounds the ease of access that African nations have to the United States, the AGOA effectively transforms the United States into a preferential market for African goods.
In addition to their mutual economic association, the two nations have engaged in substantial cooperation in various domains. This was evident in their joint effort to combat the global spread of the coronavirus, the Global Action Plan, which was a component of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States and South Africa collaborate on climate-related endeavors, including carbon emission reduction missions, as stated on the official website of the US Department of State.
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Moreover, according to Samoff, “the United States views South Africa as a crucial intermediary.” “Throughout the entire time period in which the United States was especially dissatisfied with Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe, it heavily relied on South Africa as an intermediary rather than engaging in direct negotiations with Mugabe.”
Pandor expressed the exact sentiment of confidence in her interview with Hanna of Al Jazeera.
“The United States and South Africa are vital partners, and we consider them to be the same.” stated the foreign minister of South Africa. It is my sincere desire that we can restore the relationship and proceed with the established foundation that we have cultivated over an extended period.
