WeeklySA_AdminORCHESTRATION: SA must prioritise alliances with countries espousing human rights values
By Sandile Swana
The United States of America has demonstrated several times after World War 2 its willingness and ability to abruptly and unilaterally change the world order.
Richard Nixon in August 1971, without warning, abruptly abolished the Gold Standard and created an order where money is backed by US dollars as a reserve currency rather than gold.
The US dollar is just a piece of paper backed by a powerful army and a sophisticated economy that delivers 15% of the world gross domestic Product (GDP) by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) calculations.
Today the USA once again threatens the World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation, United Nations Human Rights Council, International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice, among others.
A new world order across many spheres of life is being orchestrated from Washington, so that the US reigns supreme above all nations and international agencies.
Canada, Greenland and Panama are subject to territorial claims of various kinds by the US. It is said the Panama Canal is already under US control. Canada and Greenland are bewildered by a possible annexation by the US; the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) are stunned by their recent but complete juniorisation by the US in international affairs and peace making.
South Africa is acknowledged by the EU and by many in the global South and majority world as their credible spokesperson.
South Africa leads The Hague Group of 14 nations prosecuting the State of Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the auspices of the United Nations.
Genocide, pogroms and holocaust are not matters of conjecture but can be tested effectively against existing laws and evidence.
At this stage a prima facie case of genocide has been made.
Genocide against the State of Israel and war crimes related to actions taken by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian soil which is subject to ICC and ICJ jurisdiction. The USA and the state of Israel are not members of ICC but their “victim” is, so the law applies. They are bound under the UN and under the Geneva Convention to observe all obligations of an occupying power in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem and violations of all such laws warrants proper investigation and prosecution as is currently the case.
It is therefore unwise for the US to take aggressive action against the courts, witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, among others, when the only sensible thing to do is to win the case in the relevant courts.
The view of the Americans is stated below, they are cast into a law, The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act: “The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act (H.R. 8282) imposes sanctions on persons that aid efforts
by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Americans or Israelis. On May 20, the chief
prosecutor of the ICC Karim Khan announced his intent to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
President Joe Biden rightfully rejected the false and outrageous charges. Now, Congress must respond by imposing penalties on those supporting the court’s illegitimate efforts.
Any natural or corporate person such as the State of Israel has good opportunity to present a credible defence in any court especially an international court against any spurious allegations and in the case in court without intimidating, punishing or sanctioning court officials, investigators and service providers of the court and their families. The US now creates an impression that they are the origin of all law on earth, and that they are the sole arbiters on any law.
This behaviour has now created enormous tension between the US and South Africa over and above the conflicts the US has created with the UN; World Health Organisation (WHO); World Trade Organisation (WTO); EU; UK; Canada; Greenland; Panama; China; Iran; Russia’ and many more.
The recent behaviour of the US inaugurates a world without permanent and known rules’ This is a period of unrestricted freedom for the strong and abundant fear among the weak.
South African foreign policy is guided by values and these have been announced loudly through the G20 meetings in South Africa which were partly boycotted and never really fully supported by the US: “To tackle the global polycrisis, South Africa has embraced the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” for its G20 Presidency… South Africa will address these urgent challenges by building partnerships across all sectors of society, acting in the interests of our shared humanity. In the spirit of Ubuntu. “We recognise that individual nations cannot thrive in isolation. Countries that attempt to prosper alone amid widespread poverty and underdevelopment contradict the essence of Ubuntu and our collective humanity.
“This understanding reflects the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are dedicated to ensuring that no one is left behind.”
The USA projects a view that it can act alone and cooperate with satellite nations who subordinate themselves fully to the USA in a new world order designed in Washington.
South Africa is pushing its values-based diplomacy as opposed to one that chases after the fattest carrot, has a moral conflict with the US but attracts solidarity from the EU, BRICS, Africa, and the Global South.
The US mistakenly believes it can fuel certain opportunistic minority groups and political factions led by the DA, Solidariteit and AfriForum to achieve the position that was possible under apartheid where the US could control South Africa through a white minority government.
The DA controls 22% and the Progressive Left controls about 66% of the votes in parliament. The US and the right wing have certain demands which basically say the foreign policy of the RSA must agree with the US on Israel, Iran, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan and on potential de-dollarisation or BRICS in general.
Secondly, RSA must abandon BEE, Affirmative Action and Expropriation of Land and abolish all policies that support DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion) which are cornerstones of the values of South Africa, its Constitution and the very notion of a GNU or Grand Coalition government.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme was offered unilaterally by the US on May 18, 2000, although South Africa started trading freely with the US around 1871.
AGOA was later used by the US to demand changes in the policies and practices of the South Africa and many other African countries.
It appears many economic sectors in South Africa are aware that it is high risky to rely economically on the US, there is thus a need to initiate a proper bilateral trade agreement under the auspices of economic diplomacy, this we will be strengthened by economic and market diversification into Africa, Asia, EU and Latin America.
Our envoy to the US, Dr Sydney Mufamadi and the former ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, were not given an audience by the Trump administration in 2025. South African right-wing organisations were given audience even if it was at a low level in the US, the USA has not been in any rush to meet the proper representatives of the Ramaphosa government.
Elon Musk did not submit a proper application or any required documents for consideration to support his wishes of launching Starlink in South Africa. Starlink was an unsolicited and unilateral proposal from Musk.
Standard Bank has made it clear that assets including land are not threatened by the Expropriation Act. The Business Day stated: “An analysis of the contentious Expropriation Act conducted by Standard Bank has concluded that the legislation does not threaten property rights.
“Group CEO Sim Tshabalala said the application of the controversial law would not change the banking giant lending policy or risk appetite.”
AgriSA speaking for South African farmers says: “AgriSA position on the Expropriation Act, importantly Section 25, requires that compensation be just and equitable, ensuring a fair balance between the public interest and the rights of affected property owners.”
On legal, procedural and moral grounds, there is no credible justification on the part of the US to unilaterally terminate Ebrahim Rasool as South African ambassador to the US. South Africa cannot enter any subservient relationship with any nation regardless of the power of its military, economy or fatness of its pecuniary incentives.
The equality and solidarity of all humans is a foundational value of the majority of South Africans, no South African is the “baas” or is of a superior race to another.
Similarly, Americans across their two continents, must learn to honour and respect each other, avoid unnecessary land grabs, tariff wars, native Indians must be respected side by side with Asians and Africans across the Americas.
The period we are entering as South Africa is one where we must prioritise alliances with peoples who agree with our values and respect our humanity.
• Swana is an independent political and governance analyst, principal consultant at the Centre for Strategic Leadership
