Critics argue that South Africa’s support for the Palestinian cause is the culmination of a confusing and increasingly worrying diplomatic trend for the country, whose bilateral cooperation the United States now has doubts about. ing.
“The South African government has fallen into a trap of Russian propaganda,” Peter Dolan, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and former director of the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Fox News Digital.
“Russia proposes to all African countries that while the United States and the West are colonialists whose interests do not align with their own, Russia and China are good benefactors and friends of the world. “There are,” Dolan said.
“The truth is that Russia is the worst colonial power of the 20th century. Russia hides it, withholds parts of its history from South Africa, and so many African countries, especially South Africa, fall prey to Russian propaganda. “We were fooled about colonialism,” he added.
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Congress passed the Bilateral Relations Review Act in February, requiring President Biden to determine within 30 days of its enactment “whether South Africa has engaged in activities that undermine the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.” I ordered him to judge. Rep. John James (R-Mich.) introduced the bill after growing up. ”He has great concerns about South Africa’s cooperation with China and Russia and its acceptance of Hamas. ”
“It is important to show South Africans that the United States is paying attention, and I am proud that the committee passed this bipartisan bill,” James said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa waves as he walks past Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. (Tomohiro Osumi/AFP via Getty Images)
The bill also requires the administration to “comprehensively review the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa and report its findings to Congress within 120 days of enactment.”
South Africa is strengthening its ties with Russia and China, as well as with the BRICS economic bloc. The five founding nations, including South Africa, met in Johannesburg last year for the group’s 15th summit to discuss and agree on expanding the BRICS economic bloc. membership.
Former South African ambassador Dr. Kingulsey Makhubela told Sputnik Africa: “The fundamental thing about the expansion of BRICS is that a multipolar world is definitely emerging.” “The unipolar world that the United States and its allies have dominated no longer exists.”
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St. Petersburg, Russia – July 29 (Russia Withdrawal) Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) speaks with South African permanent resident Cyril Putin during bilateral talks in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 29, 2023. Greetings to Ramaphosa (left). While 43 people attended the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit, President Putin invited only 17 African leaders to this year’s summit. The talks centered on food security and the war in Ukraine. (Photo credit/Getty Images)
However, the policy appears to be driven primarily by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), with opposition parties condemning South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor’s recent visit to the United States as a “disastrous failure”.
“During his stay in Washington, DC, the minister spoke vehemently, backing the South African government’s commitment to ‘non-alignment’ and defending friendly relations with repressive regimes such as Iran and Russia, while at the same time calling for ‘moral “We have a duty to act against injustice at the ICJ,” Shadow International Relations Secretary Emma Louise Powell told Fox News Digital.
“The truth is that Pandor’s foreign policy positions are about nothing but the financial and political survival of the ANC,” Powell said. “The bottom line is that Pandor and Ramaphosa are selling what they are selling. It means no one will buy it anymore.”
TEHRAN, IRAN – OCTOBER 22: South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor (left) and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian (right) meet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, Iran, in October 2023. The 22nd. (Photo credit: Haydar Sahin/Anadolu, Getty Images)
“As South Africa’s official opposition party, we have one job to do: to defeat the corrupt ANC in May’s elections in order to regain the confidence of our most important international allies and rebuild our deteriorating trade relations. “We can help feed millions of South Africans by working with Western partners, such as the United States, and investing in emerging markets.” Powell said.
The growing rift between the United States and South Africa has become clearer as each side takes opposing sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. South Africa led the case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, while South Africa led the case at the International Court of Justice. The United States rejected such accusations.
Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lior Hyat accused South Africa of acting in turn as a “legal arm of Hamas seeking to undermine Israel’s inherent right to defend itself and its people and to free all hostages.” .
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A man brandishes a replica toy gun during a pro-Palestinian demonstration organized by South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in front of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria on October 23, 2023. (Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images)
Foreign Minister Pandor said on March 10 that authorities would arrest South Africans fighting alongside Israeli forces, warning: “We are ready. We will definitely arrest them when they return.” She also called on people to protest outside the embassies of Israel’s “five main supporters,” according to FDD.
“From a global perspective, the Ukraine war has revealed a shift in international politics,” Dolan argued. “In the old days before 2022, in the old days before 2022, countries could stand on either side, they could stand on either side. Look at India. On both sides. Look at the example of a country where it was a permissive environment.
“Today, we are no longer in an environment where countries are allowed to sit on the fence and play either side. This is absolutely a time of choice,” Dolan stressed.
Vusimuzi Madonsela (right), South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, attends a hearing at the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s actions in the Palestinian Territories, in The Hague, Netherlands, on February 20, 2024. (Nikos Oikonomou/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the two countries share a “strong relationship” based on “the priorities of the American people and the people of South Africa,” and that trade has grown over the years, with the U.S. and South Africa in a “second He said that it was ranked 1st. Bilateral trading partners. ”
However, the State Department accused South Africa of falling prey to Russian propaganda and influence and warned all African countries to remain vigilant against Chinese interests and overtures.
“The United States has no intention of limiting our partnerships with other countries in Africa,” the spokesperson said. “But Russia…creates and exploits insecurity to expand its presence on the African continent, threatening stability and good governance, seizing mineral resources from countries, and undermining respect for human rights in the process. There is.”
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“Ultimately, we have a strong relationship with South Africa, and we have a strong relationship, so we have had open and frank conversations about all these issues and priorities,” the spokesperson said, adding that the U.S. He added, “We are in line with the long-standing call.” …China must respect host country laws and international obligations. ”
People on a yacht (right) protest against the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov docked in the port of Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, on its way to South Africa’s east coast for naval exercises with China. . Navy. The exercise is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 17, 2023, and will demonstrate the close ties between the two countries amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and tensions between China and the West. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht) ((AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht))
Part of the problem stems from South Africa’s economic woes. Cape Town, which already suffers from the world’s highest unemployment rate, reported in February that the unemployment rate had increased to 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023, with a total of 7.9 million unemployed people.
The International Monetary Fund reported in 2023 that South Africa recorded “weak growth” of around 0.4% between January and March, citing “catastrophic power outages, volatile commodity prices and a challenging external environment” as key factors. listed as.
People gather outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on January 26, 2024, after the ICJ rules on South Africa’s charges against Israel. (Nikos Oikonomou/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Years of mismanagement by state-run power company Eskom have left the country facing rolling blackouts, and authorities are relaxing registration and licensing requirements for energy production to encourage private sector investment,” the IMF said. It added, “Energy demand is rising.” Debt levels, among the highest in emerging economies, limit the government’s ability to respond to shocks. ”
South Africa has also shown support for Russia and China by not condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and parroting NATO’s accusations of provoking the conflict. The country also hosted Russian and Chinese navies for exercises held on the anniversary of the invasion.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also expressed support for Iran, long known as a sponsor of Hamas and about two dozen Islamic extremist groups, calling the country a “true and trusted friend.” Iran is also considering joining BRICS, being one of the countries that helped nearly double BRICS membership in the first of several planned expansion plans.
South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
