ANC digs in as diplomats expelled

South Africa’s consul general in Los Angeles (LA), Thandile Babalwa Sunduza, has been given her marching orders by the United States (US) State Department Office of Foreign Missions. She is the second highest ranking South African diplomatic official in the US, and her departure marks yet another sign of the escalating diplomatic fallout between the two countries.

Her exit follows the recall of Brigadier General Richard Maponyane, South Africa’s military attaché to Washington, amid reports in the Sunday Times that the US is cutting military assistance and cooperation with the South African National Defence Force.

Just weeks earlier, Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled by the US government.

South Africa is refusing to withdraw its genocide case against Israel despite pressure from the US. Tension between the two countries has led to cancelled military deals, a substantial funding cut, and future trade uncertainty.

The controversial Sunduza has made headlines for the wrong reasons in the past including her embroilment in a number of staff complaints against her for alleged abusive behaviour and wasteful expenditure.

Despite this, former Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Minister Dr Naledi Pandor extended her appointment by four years to 2028. Following the recent termination of her tenure, she is believed to be heading back to South Africa this week.

Sunduza was earlier this year honoured by the vehemently anti-Israel Los Angeles branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the LA branch of Jewish Voice for Peace for South Africa’s legal campaign against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

When contacted by the SA Jewish Report, she declined to comment, directing all media queries to Dirco.

Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri attempted to downplay the situation.

“The term of the military attaché expired and he has returned home in that context. The US is resetting a number of agreements with countries around the world. South Africa hasn’t been immunised from those considerations,” said Phiri.

Regarding Sunduza’s recall, he said, “Her term was extended for administrative reasons. Those issues have now been concluded.”

When asked whether President Cyril Ramaphosa was any closer to naming a new ambassador to replace Rasool, Phiri simply said, “Let’s defer the question for now.”

These high-level exits paint a stark picture of strained relations between Washington and Pretoria.

Political analyst Steven Gruzd said the unfolding situation mirrored the deterioration in South Africa’s ties with Israel. “It reminds me of Israel-South Africa relations. Just when you think they can’t get any worse, they do,” said Gruzd. “Having more diplomats leave the US is a sign of how bad the bilateral relationship is.”

“The ANC says it wants to engage, but won’t retreat on the ICJ – which I see as at the root of this diplomatic crisis – even if it means bad relations with Washington and lost jobs,” said Gruzd.

Though the ANC says it remains committed to diplomatic engagement with the US, its increasingly hardline positions appear to suggest otherwise. A delegation led by Dirco director-general Zane Dangor held discussions with counterparts in the US recently in a bid to ease tensions.

This past weekend, during the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Justice Minister and ANC NEC member Ronald Lamola doubled down on the party’s stance.

“We will not withdraw from the court. It’s a matter of international law,” Lamola said. “We believe it must be dealt with on its merits.”

The Democratic Alliance, the ANC’s partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU) has called for a “formal review of foreign policy at Cabinet level”. Lamola said this week that those who want the government to change its foreign policy must follow proper channels.

Since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, South Africa has increasingly found itself in Washington’s firing line. Trump has issued several hard-hitting executive orders targeting South Africa, including the cutting of US foreign aid and the offer of resettlement for Afrikaner farmers. Tensions reached new heights with the expulsion of Rasool.

While South Africa is being pulled back, Washington is resetting. Trump has nominated conservative commentator and pro-Israel advocate Leo Brent Bozell III as the next US ambassador to South Africa.

In the meantime, the US embassy in Pretoria is being led by David Greene, a seasoned diplomat with a background in Middle East and African affairs. Greene has served in Morocco, Nigeria, and worked on the Israeli-Palestinian file, a clear signal that Washington’s gaze is sharply focused on Pretoria’s stance on Israel.

Despite the fallout, the ANC remains unflinching in its approach. ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane told journalists at the NEC meeting at the weekend that the party remained committed to a foreign policy that “serves the people of South Africa and advances a more just, peaceful, and equitable world”.

“We reject neo-colonialism, unilateralism, and all forms of domination that undermine the sovereignty and dignity of all nations,” Mokonyane said.

She accused right-wing elements of spreading disinformation locally and internationally, and linked the diplomatic fallout to ideological attacks on South Africa’s position.

“The NEC noted with concern the resurgence and spreading of right-wing ideology, and its adverse impact in international politics, particularly on the African continent,” she said. “Despite this, we urge our government to continue to pursue diplomatic engagements with the United States government.”

Political analysts have pointed out that lobbyists may be shaping US policy toward South Africa from behind the scenes.

“It’s also clear that some right-wing groups have indeed lobbied the US and influenced the Trump circle,” said Gruzd. “Known as the ‘PayPal Mafia’, there’s a group of at least four ex-South Africans, including Elon Musk and David Sacks, shaping Trump’s views of South Africa.”

Critics say the ANC is pursuing an ideologically-driven foreign policy at the cost of strategic relationships, the economic consequences of which could be dire for South Africa.

Joel Pollak, senior editor-at-large for Breitbart News, didn’t mince his words, saying, “The ANC-led government – and here the GNU shares the burden – has chosen a collision course, not just with the United States, but with reality.

“The ICJ case is symptomatic of the moral rot plaguing South Africa. Hatred of Israel is a guarantee of failure, not just because Jews have a special relationship with G-d, but because hatred of Israel means rejecting success, and rejecting the power of human beings to alter their circumstances.”

As the diplomatic climate continues to sour, many are asking what this may mean for South Africa’s future. The ANC may claim to seek dialogue, but its continued entrenchment around the ICJ case and growing hostility from the US suggest that the space for diplomacy is narrowing.