US think tank calls for sanctions against ANC officials over anti-US policies

A senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute, Joshua Meservey, has proposed a contentious strategy for the US to address South Africa's increasingly “anti”-US stance.

This comes after SA-US diplomatic ties fell on shaky ground because of SA’s stance on land reform, its proximity to China, and SA dragging Israel, a US ally, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for their war in the Gaza Strip against Palestine. 

Meservey suggests that the US should target specific ANC officials responsible for these actions, striking at their personal wealth and ability to travel abroad.

Meservey's report, published by the Hudson Institute, describes the ANC as "one of Africa's most corrupt organisations" responsible for human rights violations. 

He argues that the US should adopt a more targeted approach to influence South Africa's behaviour, rather than relying on broad-based measures that may harm the country's economy and people.

The report proposes using tools such as visa bans and sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, which targets corruption and human rights abuses. 

Meservey believes that this approach would not only change the behaviour of these officials but also serve as a warning to others who may be tempted to adopt anti-US policies.

The report also highlights South Africa's strategic importance to the US, particularly in the context of its competition with China. 

Meservey notes that South Africa is a dominant economy in its region, a gateway to the rest of southern Africa, and home to approximately 600 American companies.

Meservey stresses that the US has a range of tools at its disposal to target ANC officials, including visa bans and sanctions. 

He also suggests that the US could explore links between specific ANC officials and sanctioned Russian oligarchs and the ANC's involvement in terrorist financing.

The report's publication follows the Trump administration's decision to terminate aid to South Africa in response to the country's increasingly anti-US policies.

Meservey's suggestions have sparked debate, with some arguing that targeting individual officials could be seen as an infringement on South Africa's sovereignty.

Others have expressed concern that such measures could exacerbate tensions between the two nations, potentially harming bilateral relations and US interests in the region.

A senior member of the EFF, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused the report of bordering on racism and "imposing on SA’s freedom”.

“As South Africans, we need to be able to choose what position we take when it comes to international relations… while I agree that the ANC is and has been corrupt in the last 30 years, that does not warrant for certain individuals to be targeted… especially by a country like the US who have transgressed on people’s rights across the world. They are not ones to speak,” said the EFF member of the Central Command Task Team.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri had not responded to questions by the time of publication.

Political analyst Sandile Swana said the report was about taming the ANC and making them a satellite of the US.

“At the core of this is that SA is an enemy of the US in terms of this analysis… There are two specific issues that the US picks with SA, and one is the genocide case they opened at the International Criminal Court of Justice against Israel, and the other one is getting the warrant of arrest against Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“The common interest between the Trump administration and the Hudson Institute is that at the end of the day, the whole agenda is to attain white supremacy in the world… And this white supremacy, for now, excludes China and Russia. It is about the Anglo-Saxon, Western European culture being imposed on all nations and SA being converted into a military base. 

“They want to establish a military base in Simon's Town, according to their report, and control of the passageways of the seas. This document is about keeping tame those who support a fight against genocide, apartheid, are going to be removed through personal sanctions, so that the ANC becomes a US satellite.

"SA has taken steps to show that all nations including Israel and the US must be put to the International Criminal Court for war crimes…The US is aggrieved by that and they want to punish those who are opposing them,” Swana said.

Another political analyst Professor Kgothatso Shai said the report was unfortunate because it did not appreciate the reality of SA as a sovereign state with all the power to independently formulate domestic and foreign policies without un-due external influence from the US or elsewhere.

Shai echoed Swana’s assertions that the report was emphasising white supremacy.

“Domestically, he refers to transformative policies which threaten white privilege and white supremacy. Internationally, it refers to SA's foreign policy positions which are not aligned to the strategic interests of the USA…The case in point is South Africa's proximity to USA's self confessed rivals including Russia, China and Iran,” Shai said.

 mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za