SA defiance of US puts it in foreign territory

With tensions between Pretoria and Washington at breaking point, a high-powered South African delegation is preparing for a crucial diplomatic mission to the United States (US), with additional stops in other key countries, in an effort to mend fraying ties and clarify South Africa’s foreign and domestic policies.

The identities of the prominent envoys remained undisclosed at the time of going to print, but the urgency of their task is unmistakable. South Africa stands on the precipice of a full-blown diplomatic crisis with its largest trading partner, the US.

This diplomatic outreach underscores the precarious position South Africa finds itself in as it attempts to maintain strong ties with the US while simultaneously entrenching its position as one of Israel’s most vocal adversaries on the global stage.

With renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) looming, South Africa faces the grim prospect of further economic turbulence, a self-inflicted wound from a government determined to pursue its ideological agenda at any cost, say political commentators.

Despite diplomatic efforts by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to try mend relations with the US, prominent African National Congress (ANC) officials continue to amplify their condemnation of Israel, reinforcing the ANC’s unwavering support for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case against Israel.

Even as South Africa faces mounting pressure from the US following Trump’s hardline stance on the country, senior members of the ANC remain steadfast.

In response to Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio falsely accusing South Africa of land grabs, Ramaphosa didn’t retreat, saying, “We are as South Africans a resilient people, and we will not be bullied. And we will speak with one voice in defence of our national interests, our sovereignty, and our constitutional democracy.”

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola told the Financial Times that Pretoria had no intention of backing down from the ICJ case against Israel, and vowed that South Africa would pursue the case despite US pressure, signalling defiance in the face of geopolitical scrutiny.

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) condemned the government’s “reckless vow” by Lamola.

SAZF spokesperson Rolene Marks said, “The ANC government has abandoned any pretence of neutrality and has instead placed South Africa on a path of antagonism and hostility against the democratic West, siding with regimes like Iran while falsely accusing Israel – the region’s only democracy – of genocide.”

South African ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, appears to have upped the rhetoric by telling British-American broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, that Gaza is “apartheid on steroids”. His comments stand in stark contrast to his own previous statements. Just two months ago, Rasool told Daily Maverick it was time to “put down the megaphone” on Gaza. His shift in tone suggests an effort to push anti-Israel narratives in American media despite South Africa’s diplomatic efforts to smooth tensions with Washington.

Rasool told Hasan, “The growing consensus in South Africa is that whatever we’ve experienced in South Africa is on steroids in Palestine. The template of apartheid has been completely magnified. That is the kind of DNA that we recognised as South Africans.”

Rasool criticised Trump and Elon Musk for meddling in other countries’ politics, telling Hasan, “South Africa will not be falling into the temptation that President Trump and Mr Musk have fallen into themselves, and that is to interfere in the internal politics of other countries, as was done with Britain and Germany and others.”

Adding to the rhetoric, Reverend Frank Chikane, a veteran ANC figure and influential voice in the party, compared South African Zionists to apartheid-era supporters, claiming they were the same people who upheld white minority rule.

“The people who support Israel’s genocide in Gaza are the same people who supported the apartheid system here,” he told Newsroom Africa. “Zionism is straightforward racism.”

Meanwhile in a significant escalation of diplomatic tension, four US congressmen have called on Trump to revoke South Africa’s access to the US market under AGOA and to consider severing diplomatic ties over the country’s “vendetta” against Israel and its alignment with hostile regimes.

In a letter dated 11 February 2025, Republican congressmen Andrew Ogles, Tom Tiffany, Joe Wilson, and Don Bacon accused South Africa of undermining American interests, committing human rights violations, and fostering ties with China’s Communist Party.

“We urge you to revoke South Africa’s preference benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act,” the letter states. “We would also suggest that you consider suspending diplomatic ties unless that government is prepared to engage constructively with our own.”

Trump’s executive order halted all US aid to South Africa, citing not only the ICJ case, but the controversial land expropriation law, and alleged co-operation with Iran on military and nuclear matters.  Rubio has also announced that he will boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, further straining relations. Additionally, Trump has signalled willingness to offer asylum to white South African farmers, further exacerbating tensions between the two countries. All of which has sent Pretoria into damage-control mode, scrambling to stave off deeper fallout.

While the ANC dismissed land-grab claims by Elon Musk and Trump as “misinformation”, its pro-business coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance, has warned that severing ties with the US could cripple the country’s economy.

South Africa’s continuously aggressive stance against Israel may come at a high cost. The mixed messaging, on one hand seeking to repair relations with the US while on the other escalating anti-Israel rhetoric, risks further diplomatic fallout.

The ANC’s decision to maintain its antagonistic position against Israel despite the diplomatic and economic risks appears to be driven more by ideological commitment and political posturing than by strategic pragmatism, say political commentators.

Marks said the consequences of this “reckless” foreign policy were already evident.

“South Africa is at serious risk of losing crucial tariff-free access to US markets. This would have a devastating impact on South Africa’s struggling economy, costing thousands of jobs and further exacerbating poverty and unemployment.”

Should AGOA be revoked, she said, the blame will rest squarely on the ANC government and its “self-destructive foreign policy”.

“The South African government no longer speaks for all its citizens on foreign policy. We urge other parties in the government of national unity to exert their influence and reverse this trajectory of diplomatic and economic self-sabotage.”