South Africa has been urged carefully balance economic ties with Washington while maintaining relations with other global partners.
With the United States demanding its outstanding issues from South Africa, the country is facing a conundrum – to toe the line and benefit economically from the US, or to reject and get ostracised by the superpower.
Political and international relations analyst Jan Venter from North-West University said the best is for South Africa to play the international game of give and take, emulating India’s approach.
Venter said India is an ally of America but it still maintained dealings with Russia, Iran and others on the international arena as it wished.
US ambassador outlines list of demands
Venter was reacting to a statement made by new US ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III, who said South Africa is yet to meet its side of the bargain on certain issues of five US demands pertaining to black economic empowerment, land expropriation and the Kill the Boer song.
His tone appeared to be less conciliatory, something that some believe is undiplomatic and could raise further tensions between the two countries.
The demands and strong statement came a week after Bozell indicated to journalists that a solution could be found to resolve the differences between the US and South Africa.
He was optimistic about the outcome, a far cry from his latest statement in which he was speaking tough and giving Pretoria an ultimatum to act, or face US anger.
Speaking at a BizNews conference in Hermanus, Bozell said Washington was running out of patience with Pretoria’s lack of action pertaining to a “list of five asks” delivered to Pretoria a year ago by the US.
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What Bozell called five “asks” include protecting rural communities from violence and referring to farm attacks which the US wants to become a priority crime focus in South Africa.
While South Africa acknowledges farm attacks exist, it denies a white genocide in the country, a view expressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his meeting with Trump in May last year at the White House.
Another issue was the Kill the Boer song which the US condemned during the same meeting. Bozell said the US is seeking clarity on Kill the Boer, which he believes is hate speech.
“I’m sorry, I don’t care what your courts say. It’s hate speech,” he said.
Following a local outcry – during which there were calls for him to be expelled from South Africa – Bozell posted on his official social media account: “I want to clarify that while my personal view – like that of many South Africans – is that Kill the Boer constitutes hate speech, the US government respects the independence and findings of South Africa’s judiciary.”
Land reform and economic policy concerns
A third issue is land expropriation, which the US wants to include fair and clear compensation standards instead of the government’s move to normalise “nil” compensation in new expropriation laws.
But South Africa is not implementing land expropriation without compensation because the law collapsed in parliament as it could not muster the required two-thirds majority when it was tabled for passing into law.
The fourth is that South Africa must end mandatory surrender of ownership, or control of corporate decision-making as a cost of one’s own business, an apparent reference to black economic empowerment.
The last US demand is for the country to expand digital and critical minerals cooperation.
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Calls for strategic cooperation with US
The US has its eyes on South Africa’s abundant critical minerals. Last year, Trump met Afrikaner leaders, including businesspeople and political leaders pertaining to critical minerals.
The groups favour that South Africa must cooperate with the US on the issue so as not only to improve their relations, but to also benefit the country economically and ensure growth.
Regarding the “asks”, or demands, outlined by the US, Bozell said this would benefit both countries.
“These are achievable, practical and beneficial to both Americans and South Africans,” Bozell said.
Venter said the art of politics is a give-and-take game and South African must play the international game.
“India is an excellent example in playing the international game – they are getting huge support from Trump while still buying Russian oil. They are getting support in terms of all kinds of economic benefits from the US, while they actually offered safe heaven to the Iranian ship that sunk,” Venter said.
America is also playing the same game. It wants certain things from South Africa and to do so while expending as little as possible.
“So, they are using threats and I think the SA government must be phlegmatic in its answers and must give in order to get. In the long run, America can provide stability to SA, tackle economic growth and unemployment.”
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