US bill targeting SA clears first hurdle
Tensions between Washington and Pretoria continue to simmer, as a United States lawmaker pushes forward legislation that could significantly alter diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson has confirmed that his proposed US–South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 has passed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee, clearing its first major hurdle in Congress.
The legislation is now awaiting a full House vote, which is only expected after lawmakers return from recess in September.
In a fiery post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Jackson made his intentions clear:
"South Africa made its choice when they abandoned America and our allies and sided with communists and terrorists.
"Today, my bill to fully review America’s relationship with South Africa and give President Trump the tools necessary to hold their corrupt government accountable passed through committee.
"The days of allowing our so-called ‘allies’ to walk all over us are OVER!”
The legislation paints a scathing picture of the ANC-led government. Jackson accuses South Africa of consistently siding with US adversaries for years.
"For years, the ANC has cozied up to Iran, Russia, China, and even Hamas. That’s not what allies do. That’s what adversaries do. And yet we’ve kept rewarding them with trade benefits and diplomatic niceties. It’s time to reevaluate that relationship.”
The bill calls out South Africa’s ties with Hamas, Iran, and Russia.
"Following the October 7th attack on Israel, South African officials didn’t just stay silent, they stood by Hamas. They met with Iranian leaders. They filed genocide charges against Israel. That is a betrayal not just of our values but of global stability.”
Jackson has particularly taken issue with Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor’s engagements. In the bill, he notes:
"You have a senior South African official calling Hamas to offer support and then turning around to meet Iran’s president. If that’s not alignment with terrorism, I don’t know what is.”
The bill also criticises military and diplomatic cooperation between South Africa and Russia:
"We’ve watched South Africa host Russian warships, welcome sanctioned Russian planes, and take money from oligarchs like Viktor Vekselberg. They’re not even hiding it anymore.”
On China, the bill accuses the ANC of ideological allegiance to the CCP:
"From opening Confucius Institutes to running joint training schools in Tanzania, South Africa is acting as a soft-power outpost for the Chinese Communist Party. That should alarm anyone who values freedom and democracy.”
Jackson’s proposal demands a full classified report from the US President within 120 days of enactment, identifying South African government and ANC officials who should be sanctioned.
He warns: "There are individuals in the ANC who are openly undermining Western interests. We need to call them out by name, freeze their assets, and ban their entry.”
The bill even weighs in on South Africa’s domestic issues, alleging that:
'The ANC can’t keep the lights on, can’t move freight, and can’t stop a cholera outbreak. Yet they have the audacity to lecture others about human rights. That’s hypocrisy at its worst.”
Another flashpoint is the appointment of Ebrahim Rasool as ambassador to the US. Jackson argues:
"You can’t send someone who hosted Hamas and called President Trump a white supremacist, and expect warm relations. That’s not diplomacy, that’s provocation.”
Although the bill still faces several legislative hurdles, including a full House vote and possible Senate resistance, it underscores the growing animosity among conservative US lawmakers toward South Africa’s foreign policy under the ANC.
South Africa has yet to appoint a new ambassador after Rasool’s expulsion earlier this year.
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