Major development: Bill to review South Africa relations and impose sanctions on leaders passed by US House Committee
Image: Armand Hough /Independent Newspapers
A bill which seeks to reevaluate the bilateral relationship between the US and South Africa and identify government leaders who should be subject to sanctions was passed by a US House Committee on Foreign Affairs this week.
The US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 was introduced in April by Ronny Jackson, a congressman from Texas. The bill, to become a law, will need to be approved by the House and Senate before being signed by President Donald Trump.
According to a report by IOL earlier this year, the bill mandates a comprehensive review to identify South African government officials and leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) who may be subject to sanctions for their alleged support of American adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Commenting on X about the committee's approval of the bill, Jackson said: '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!'
AfriForum said in a statement that the step was a "welcome development" in the interests of the country's citizens.
It said the bill will now be debated and amended in the House of Representatives before a vote is held on it. The House of Representatives will then submit the approved bill to the Senate for final consideration.
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'This development comes amid a deepening diplomatic crisis between the US and South African governments. Last week it was reported that the US government has denied Mcebisi Jonas,
'South Africa's special envoy to the US, a diplomatic visa and rejected his credentials. The revelation confirmed that South Africa has effectively been without diplomatic representation in Washington for more than three months, amid one of the country's most serious diplomatic crises since 1994.'
Ernst van Zyl, head of public relations at AfriForum, said ordinary citizens should not be punished for the extremism and corruption of politicians.
'AfriForum has never advocated for sanctions that target South Africa as a whole. Therefore, the introduction of targeted sanctions against these politicians will be a welcome development,' Van Zyl said.
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