Special Envoy to the United States Mcebisi Jonas believes "non-state" actors are working to promote personal political and business interests.
Mcebisi Jonas has warned that figures lurking in the background are on a campaign to discredit South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy to the United States did not name the “nefarious” persons allegedly working against the state, but stated they were well-connected individuals.
Jonas is also chair of The MTN Group, which this week confirmed that the US Department of Justice had contacted its legal counsel in the US regarding its operations in Iran and Afghanistan.
Plans to ‘usurp authority’
Much of the negativity aimed at South Africa has come from the US in the form of trade tariffs and claims of violence and discrimination against the white population.
Jonas’ Special Envoy status was questioned in July when the Democratic Alliance (DA) claimed he was denied entry into the US, something The Presidency labelled “sensationalism”.
The fallout of the spat between the DA and The Presidency led to the resignation of the DA’s spokesperson on international relations Emma Powell.
Speaking to the Sunday Times this week, Jonas suggested there were forces working in the background to discredit South Africa.
“The scale of the information war, the nefarious characters involved, their command of resources and their stranglehold over decision-making in South Africa under their cloak of legitimacy make the Bell Potinger project look like a Sunday school picnic,” claimed Jonas.
“These non-state actors have appointed themselves as spokespeople and negotiators on behalf of South Africa to service certain political and business interests, and are attempting to usurp authority over our foreign policy.”
Strained US ties
The departments of international relations and trade and industry have been busy this year trying to balance their relationships with the US and nations considered hostile to American interests.
Rejected trade deals came off the back of a presidential delegation sent to Washington, with a recent visit of South African National Defence Force General Rudzani Maphwanya to Iran throwing another spanner in the works.
“Even if SA submitted the strongest kind of trade-focused deal to the US, engagements such as this latest with Iran will make any possible deal around lower US tariffs and other investments all the more difficult,” Executive Director of the Centre for Risk Analysis Chris Hattingh recently told The Citizen.
A London and Washington-focused publication National Security News (NSN) recently elaborated on the US grand jury case against MTN, citing over 500 US servicemen killed or injured in Iran and Afghanistan whose families are driving the matter.
The case stems from claims that MTN allegedly paid protection money to militia in the two countries in order to work without fear of attack — money that was used to buy weapons which killed US personnel.
NSN quoted the wife of one the deceased soldiers, Lieutenant Colonel David Cabrera, who said she hopes the case can have some lasting impact.
“This will change the way business is done in war zones. I believe that this can bring justice to those of us who have lost somebody,” said August Cabrera.
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