SA adamant its relations with US intact as policymakers caution against hosting Agoa forum

The South African government says its relationship with the US is intact, amid controversy around a letter written to secretary of state Antony Blinken cautioning against hosting an economic forum in SA while it remains neutral in the Russia/Ukraine war.

The four US Congress members behind the letter claim going ahead with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) forum scheduled for November in SA will serve as an implicit endorsement of the country's “damaging support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and possible violation of US sanctions law”. 

Agoa provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for more than 1,800 products. It is due to expire in 2025.

“South Africa's government has formally taken a neutral stance on Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine, but has deepened its military relationship with Russia over the past year.

“Late last year a Russian cargo vessel subject to US sanctions docked in South Africa's largest naval port, and intelligence suggests that the South African government used this opportunity to covertly supply Russia with arms and ammunition that could be used in its illegal war in Ukraine,” the letter read.

The four noted that SA held joint military exercises with Russia and China in February, and in April authorised a Russian military cargo plane also subject to US sanctions to land at a South African air force base.

They added that the country was going ahead with plans to host the Brics summit with the expected participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the outstanding arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.

“If SA continues to demonstrate support for Russia in its unlawful invasion of Ukraine, then hosting the forum in another country in Sub-Saharan Africa would send a clear and important message that the US continues to stand with Ukraine and will not accept our trading partner's provision of aid to Russia's ongoing and brutal invasion,” read the letter.

However, Clayson Monyela, department of international relations and co-operation's head of diplomacy, said South Africa continued to enjoy the support of the US government, the Africa group and business in hosting the Agoa forum.

“This letter by the four US Congress members to secretary Blinken is noted. There is no decision by the state department/White House to move the Agoa meeting from SA. President Cyril Ramaphosa's special envoys recently visited the US to meet and explain South Africa's active non-aligned position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict to key stakeholders and decisionmakers.

“Our diplomats in Washington continue to engage on these matters. President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading an African peace mission (in the coming days) to Russia and Ukraine," Monyela said.

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