South Africa stands up to the USA, over Bill monitoring Russian activities

South Africa has once again stood up to the US’ bullying tactics of Africa, telling the Biden administration to scrap its unwarranted “Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa” Bill.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor believed the legislation was at odds with international law.

Washington legislation ‘totally unwarranted’

The minister described the Washington legislation as “totally unwarranted” and “should be really killed”.

“I think it’s an intrusion that goes against international law,” she said.

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In an interview with Russian online publication Sputnik, the minister went further to say that South Africa had even met the drafter of the initial legislation and indicated to them the country’s opposition to the legislation by Washington.

Instead, South Africa would continue “to advocate for that Bill to be torn up and not to proceed in any form or state”, Pandor said.

When the Bill becomes law, it will ensure that the US monitored and assessed the scale and scope of Russia’s activities in Africa that could potentially counter the US interests on the continent.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the US Congress Bill on the fight against Russian activities in Africa “an American provocation” which harms primarily the Africans themselves and reflects the West’s colonial approach to the countries of the continent.

The Russian official stressed that he had no doubts that even those who do not comment on this kind of “US provocation” still have a deep conviction that “this law harms Africans first of all”.

It could impose sanctions and other restrictions against Russia and any African government that supported Russia’s malignant influence and activities on the continent.

SA’s history with Russia guiding its approach

But President Cyril Ramaphosa and Pandor expressed opposition to punishment of South Africa for its historic non-alignment stance.

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Pandor is known for not shying away from criticising the US for its tendency to expect Africa to support its anti-Russian approach in geopolitical matters. South Africa did not support the US initiated sanctions against Russian over its invasion of Ukraine.

Pretoria followed its historic non-align approach as it believed world conflicts should be resolved through dialogue including the Ukraine war.

It’s understood the August visit to South Africa by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s invitation to visit Washington in September were part of an attempt by US to court South Africa away from Russia and China.

The former Soviet Union supported the black liberation struggle against apartheid rule and South Africa remained aligned to Moscow since.

Besides this, South Africa’s foreign policy is mainly driven by the left, comprised of the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, both part of the governing alliance.

Both Biden and Blinken adopted a non-aggressive response towards South Africa, even as Pandor got hot under the collar as she rejected the perceived US bullying approach over Russian isolation for its Ukraine attack.

Previously Ramaphosa and Pandor had contradicted each other on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Ramaphosa appeared to prefer a more moderate approach.

Bill currently only in its infancy

The US Embassy in South Africa declined to comment on the matter, but referred The Citizen to the statement made by US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben E. Brigety II.

In a media briefing in Pretoria following his visit to Washington accompanying Ramaphosa last year, Brigety explained the long and complex legislative process in the US Congress. He said the legislation was just a draft Bill and was at proposal stage, meaning it is nowhere close to being passed into law.

The Mix Bill had not yet reached even the legislature committees and has, therefore, not yet been processed by the broader membership of the House of Representatives. Draft Bills often do not reach the stage of being passed into law.

It is understood that within the US State Department the Sputnik news report was seen as a disinformation campaign by the Russian publication, which took advantage of the lack of understanding of the US legislative processes by the South African public.

ericn@citizen.co.za