President Cyril Rampahosa expressed worry over the deteriorating relations with the US following his counterpart Donald Trump's order on Friday to cut off aid and offer refuge for Afrikaners.
“The level of trade and aid is a by-product of a strong bilateral relationship. The President is concerned about the bilateral relationship and the manner in which matters have been handled," spokesperson Vincent Mangwenya said.
At the heart of the decision on Friday is Trump's disapproval of SA's land expropriation policy, signed last month to make it easier for the state to seize land in the public interest, and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The White House's decision tests Ramaphosa's determination to assert SA's sovereignty in pushing through domestic policies and commitment to its legal and moral stance to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and hold Israel accountable for its actions.
It came a day after Ramaphosa told South Africans in the state of the nation address that SA would "not be bullied", indirectly responding to Trump's social media post earlier in the week in which the US President misleadingly said "SA is confiscating land" and that "certain classes of people were treated "very badly". Elon Musk, who is close to Trump, has said that white South Africans have been the victims of “racist ownership laws”.
Still, the decision digs about R8bn hole in SA's health budget and puts more than 15,000 jobs of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, data capturers and technical experts, most of whom work in the health districts hardest hit by HIV/Aids, on the firing line. The $400m finding, under the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), is about 3% of the SA entire health budget of R272bn over the medium term.
"So far, only aid has been impacted by the recent White House decisions. As we begin to engage openly with the Trump administration, we will have a better sense of how the relationship is going to evolve,” Magwena said, hinting at the possibility of further disruptions in trade and economic relations.
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the US is SA’s second-largest export market, valued at $10.9bn as of October last year. China, SA’s largest export market, was valued at $23.4bn in the same period.
SA also stands to lose access to the American Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which is up for review later this year, a move, if it comes to pass, that could have broader implications for the entire programme. SA serves as a key player in the continent's economy, serving as a hub for trade, providing regional trade networks and market access to neighbouring countries.
The level of trade and aid is a by-product of a strong bilateral relationship. The President is concerned about the bilateral relationship and the manner in which matters have been handled.
— Presidency spokesman Vincent Magwenya
While tension between the two countries reached new levels under Trump, they have long been strained for a longer period, highlighted by a bill tabled a year ago to review relations between the two countries -- an initiative that received bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans.
“We value all South Africans black and white. Our laws uphold the rights of all South Africans and there is no single group that faces persecution or illegal deprivation of their rights as laid out in our constitution and our bill of rights,” Magwenya said. “The assertion that Afrikaners face arbitrary deprivation and therefore need to flee the country of their birth is an assertion devoid of all truth."
“We are deeply encouraged by all South Africans who have spoken out in defense of our sovereignty and have told the truth about our country. We need more of our patriots like Johann Kotze of AgriSA and others to come out and tell the real South African narrative,” he said.
The order by Trump, who has staked his political reputation on "America First" policies, is a victory for the Afriforum, a lobby group for Afrikaners interests, which has been pushing US lawmakers to intervene in SA domestic matters, citing discriminatory laws and farm killings.
It said on Saturday that it welcomed the “political pressure” being placed on the ANC even as it acknowledged that the withdrawal of aid could have “severe social consequences”, and supported SA continued part in Agoa.
The organisation also said that it was “committed” to remaining in SA and on the continent and that the “repatriation of Afrikaners” as refugees was “not a solution".
Solidarity, which is affiliated with Afriforum, on also said on Saturday that it had held briefings with policymakers in the US. The union said the latest developments are not new but have been building even during the Biden administration.
“We do have a network in the US, but we will not be able to provide you with the contacts that we have there. It will expose them. Perhaps more generally, the stance that the US is taking on now has a build-up even during the Biden administration, Democrats and Republicans have started to question the US-RSA relationship.,” sources in the union told Business Day.
Under the Biden administration, SA was accused of selling arms to Russia, after the docking of a sanctioned Russian navy ship, the Lady R, at the Simon’s Town Naval Base. An investigation found that there was no truth to this allegation, strongly levelled by former US ambassador to SA Reuben Brigety.
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