US sanctions threat seen as attempt to bully SA

Governance analyst, Professor Sam Koma, believes that the United States’ bill to review the bilateral relationship with South Africa, and impose sanctions on government as well ANC officials is an attempt to bully and intimidate the South African government from articulating its sovereignty in the international community.

His remarks come after the US Committee on Foreign Affairs approved the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 (H.R.2633), which was introduced in April.

Republican representative, Ronny Jackson, introduced the piece of legislation – demanding that South Africa face consequences for its ties with China, Russia, Iran, Hamas and for the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The approved bill also comes days before the US’s 30% tariff on exports kicks in, on August 1.

It will now go to the full House of Representatives for a vote before the Senate considers it. That step is only expected after lawmakers return from recess in September.

Political commentator, Goodenough Mashego, has dismissed this as a short-term bump in the road, which the country and ANC leaders shouldn’t be concerned about.

Mashego believes Washington wants to use the threat of the sanctions to persuade government to drop the genocide case against Israel.

The ANC doesn’t seem worried over the threat, saying South Africa will never change the country’s foreign policies to appease other nations, including the United States.

ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, says the sanctions are part of the propaganda being spread about Pretoria, which she claims is led by right-wing extremist organisations.

Lobby group, AfriForum, says the approval of the controversial piece of legislation is a welcome development for the interests of the people of South Africa.

Head of Public Relations at AfriForum, Ernst van Zyl, says the ANC’s years of reckless and extremist diplomatic actions and rhetoric are now bearing bitter fruit.

Meanwhile, Solidarity called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and other parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) to urgently commit South Africa to a strong relationship with the US by urgently reaffirming the country’s non-aligned status.

Solidarity proposes five political interventions to save relationship with USA

Solidarity today called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently implement five political steps to save the relationship between South Africa and the USA after the US House of Representatives Foreign…

— Jaco Kleynhans (@JacoKleynhans) July 23, 2025

Some South Africans have taken to social media to voice their opinions on the matter.

Although I am not a member of the ANC, I think these sanctions will make us hate Afeiforum more. We must expropriate now. Let these fotshekas fotsshek to thier Trump. Sanctions or not, we shall expropriate

— Garvey’s Ghost (@4daluvofdagheto) July 23, 2025

The US government looks at dedollarisation as an attack on the US and not necessarily countries looking out for their own interests, currencies and trade policies, hence the sanctions. They want to keep us economically deprived and will fight us to the death.

— Sabelo R. Mkhabela (@SabeloMkabela) July 23, 2025

The US bill that was approved by Congress calls for a review of US-South Africa relations and paves the way for sanctions on senior ANC leaders accused of corruption and foreign collusion. This should place Ramaphosa on top of the list. Interesting.

How will the ANC respond?

— Sia (@lesiamolibeli) July 23, 2025

This section is directly from the US sanctions bill. You can see why the ANC are panicking. https://t.co/FXgpQkbbm1 pic.twitter.com/AcFbiszhpo

— Conscious Caracal 🇿🇦 (@ConCaracal) July 23, 2025

You see 🤷 you still think what you did was right.. you deserved those sanctions. I don’t know what makes you think these alleged sanctions will ever turn us into Zimbabwe. You and America are the same – you are both terrorists

— S.A. Burger (@JoburgCliff) July 23, 2025