Ramaphosa responds to US push for sanctions on South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that he is aware of the latest development surrounding a United States bill calling for sanctions on South Africa, hoping that diplomacy will win out.
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs this week passed a bill tabled by Republican Ronny Jackson in April, calling for a full review of US relations with South Africa.
The bill, known as the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 (H.R.2633), also seeks to identify South African government officials and ANC leaders eligible for sanctions.
While passing the committee is one of the first steps to making the bill law, it marks a significant move forward after months of silence and inactivity on the legislation.
When asked about the bill, Ramaphosa said he and his administration had noted the development, but added that it would not impact South Africa’s approach to dealing with the United States.
“We have heard what has happened in the US House committee, and that whole process has a long way to go,” he said. “Discussions will be ongoing, and we don’t know exactly what is driving all this.”
Regardless, “our bilateral discussions and dealings with the United States will continue,” he said.
The bill will still have to pass through the House and the Senate before making its way to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
A previous bill with similar aims made it through the House in the previous Congress, but got no further.
According to Ramaphosa, South Africa will continue to rely on diplomacy and discussions with the US to guide the path forward.
“We will discuss all sorts of things, including precisely this issue and many others. We’ve got good diplomatic relations with the US, and we want to enrich them and make them better.”
Ramaphosa has been engaging with the US to try to reset relations between the two countries.
This is not only in terms of trade, where South Africa faces a looming 30% tariff on all exports to the US, but also in terms of its geopolitical positioning and foreign policies.
One key reason the US bill was tabled at all is that those in the Trump administration view South Africa as having “abandoned” the United States and cosied up to its enemies.
The wording of the bill makes this explicit, citing South Africa’s association with Russia and China, as well as antagonising the United States and its allies—like Israel—on the global stage.
Debating the bill in the committee, proponents said they do not view the bill as being “anti-South African” but rather “pro-accountability”, singling out the ANC government as having anti-American stances.
This includes, but is not limited to, the party’s close ties to Iran and Hamas, often directly dealing with them.
Even opponents to the bill flagged South Africa’s growing slant towards ‘anti-West’ powers like Russia and China, but argued that the bill would likely only push the country further away from America.
Opponents, largely Democrats, said that the issues the bill seeks to address should be dealt with through diplomatic channels, rather than punitive legislation.
According to Ramaphosa’s remarks, Pretoria would agree with this position. The president said that South Africa would continue to engage with the US through diplomatic channels to address its concerns.
“We are very positive that the outcomes of our discussions with the United States will be comprehensive and all-encompassing, so that we can return to good dealings with the country,” he said.
DIRCO’s response
Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ronald Lamola, also acknowledged the bill’s progress in the US committee.
Much like Ramaphosa, the minister took the line that South Africa would continue to lean into diplomatic channels to address the US concerns.
“We in South Africa have long held the conviction that our relationship with the United States is not merely transactional, but a partnership rooted in shared values of democracy, justice, and progress,” he said.
“Diplomatic efforts are underway to ensure that we consolidate our relationship with the US and that we further appreciate that it’s a long term undertaking under the current geopolitical environment.”
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