A bill that would call on the US government to comprehensively review US relations with South Africa crossed its first legislative hurdle on Wednesday when it passed the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on a voice vote.
The “U.S.- South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act” is expected also to pass a more formal roll call vote in the committee on Wednesday and then to move to the full House of Representatives.
The bill would also require the Administration to report to Congress “explicitly stating whether South Africa has engaged in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests.”
Republican John James and Democrat Jared Moscowitz introduced the bill in February. It says that in contrast to its stated non-alignment, the ANC government has been siding with “malign actors”, building military and political ties with Russia and China and supporting Hamas, designated by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a known proxy of Iran.
On Wednesday, James added an amendment which also criticised International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor for urging pro-Palestinian activists to demonstrate outside the Pretoria embassies of the five governments which support Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
She did not name the countries but was understood to be referring to the US, UK, Germany, France and Canada.
James’s amendment was adopted by the committee but an amendment proposed by Republican Scott Perry, requiring the Administration…