Keypoints:
- US House panel backs foreign policy review bill
- South Africa’s ties with Hamas, Russia, China criticised
- Potential sanctions on ANC officials flagged
RELATIONS between South Africa and the United States are at their most fragile in years after American lawmakers advanced a bill seeking to reassess bilateral ties, citing Pretoria’s alliances with Russia, China, and alleged support for Hamas.
On July 22, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 34–16 to approve the ‘US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act’, sending it to the full House of Representatives for possible debate and a vote. The legislation, introduced in April by Republican Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas, aims to pressure Pretoria to reconsider its foreign policy choices.
‘South Africa made its choice when they abandoned America and our allies and sided with communists and terrorists,’ Jackson declared on X following the vote.
Although many bills stall before reaching a full vote in Congress, the committee’s approval sends a strong signal that South Africa’s deepening ties with Russia, China, and political alignment with Palestinian causes are now officially on Washington’s radar.
Accusations of backing Hamas
The bill accuses South Africa of undermining US national interests through its relationships with Moscow and Beijing—two major BRICS allies. But it goes further by alleging that Pretoria has effectively supported Hamas, the Palestinian armed group locked in a deadly conflict with Israel.
South Africa has denied backing Hamas, reiterating instead its long-standing support for Palestinian statehood and accusing Israel of committing genocide—a claim now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ case, filed by Pretoria in 2023, is specifically mentioned in the bill as a point of concern for US lawmakers.
Both South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation and a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa declined to comment on the bill’s progress.
Possible sanctions on ANC figures
The legislation proposes a full-scale review of US-South Africa bilateral relations and recommends that Washington identify South African government officials and ANC leaders who could be subject to sanctions. These would target individuals alleged to have engaged in corruption or human rights violations, based on determinations by current US President Donald Trump.
No names have yet been mentioned, but the proposal reflects an intensifying breakdown in trust between the two governments.
Trump has frequently accused the ANC-led government of anti-white racism and, during his second term, launched a refugee resettlement programme for Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers, citing what he controversially calls a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa.
BRICS divide widens
At the heart of the bill lies growing US discomfort with South Africa’s global orientation. As a BRICS member, Pretoria has increased economic and military engagement with Russia and China, prompting concerns in Washington about an emerging anti-Western bloc that undermines traditional alliances.
Tensions have been further strained by the looming threat of a 30 percent tariff on South African aluminium exports to the US, a retaliatory move linked to the country’s refusal to align with Western sanctions on Russia.
If passed, the bill could lead to a dramatic recalibration of diplomatic, economic, and military engagement between the two countries. It would also send a broader message to African nations seeking to balance multipolar allegiances between the West and powers like China and Russia.
While the bill’s passage through Congress is not guaranteed, its advancement marks a serious deterioration in one of Africa’s most strategically important relationships.
