Democratic Congresswoman blasts Republican colleague John James for treating SA as a ‘colony’

US Republican Congressman John James. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

By Peter Fabricius

1 Jul 2024

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove says Republican legislation demanding a review of US-SA relations is ‘counterproductive and condescending’.

A US Democratic Party Congresswoman has blasted Republican Congressman John James for treating South Africa as a “colony” in tabling legislation that would require the Biden administration to conduct a thorough review of US relations with SA.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation last month as an amendment to the annual National Defense Authorization Act which must be adopted as it authorises the gigantic US defence budget.

congress us sa US Republican Congressman John James. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

James’ amendment would require the Biden administration to report to Congress on US defence relations with SA and SA’s defence relations with Russia, China and Iran, and whether these are undermining US national security and foreign policy interests.

The amendment passed the full House by a vote of 272 for and 144 against. Sixty-three Democrats voted for the amendments and 143 against. The amendment would still have to be adopted by the Senate to become law.

Read more in Daily Maverick: US House of Representatives legislates for a review of America-South Africa relations

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat from California, blasted James’ amendment as “strange and counterproductive and condescending.

“And this is exactly what African countries accuse us of doing,” she told the House during the debate on the amendment.

“They say, why do you wag your finger at us and tell us what we can’t do? But then you don’t do that to any other country.

“And they are right. They’re not colonies; they are countries, independent. And this tired approach is what they are asking us to stop doing.

“We would not do this to any country in Europe or Asia.

“So why are we doing this to an African country, especially South Africa, a democratic country that just held free and fair elections, and one of the most strategic partners that we have on the continent?

“So we need to show up, and we need to show up in a different kind of way. And this amendment is not how we should show up for Africa. It is counterproductive, and it is not the way that we should be engaging with our African partners; our democratic African partners on the continent.

“The best way to counteract Russia and China is to show up with a different approach that is dignified, that is respectful, that recognises that these countries are independent so that they see that we are serious and that we are using all of the tools in our toolbox – diplomatic, defence and development – not finger-wagging.”

‘Determine their own future’

She acknowledged that “South Africa has taken a number of policy stances I do not agree with and don’t believe are helpful to advancing further peace and prosperity, including an all-too-forgiving stance on Russia.”

But she said if America’s goal was “to achieve an open and cooperative partnership with South Africa that advances both our countries’ interests, this amendment will not accomplish that”.

“South Africa is a key partner of the United States and has been critical to driving innovation and investment on the continent of Africa.”

Kamlager-Dove noted that in 2022, the Biden administration had adopted a US strategy toward sub-Saharan Africa, “noting it is impossible to meet today’s defining challenges without African contributions in leadership.

“Underpinning that strategy is the concept that the United States can offer positive choices to Africans, for instance, as they determine their own future.

“In other words, we have the opportunity and responsibility to present options to our African partners that they can judge to be worthwhile and in their best interest.

“We don’t get to impose our ideas, and we should be making a compelling case for why it makes sense to partner with the United States and work together to achieve shared interests.

“Any past disagreements with South Africa are reasons for us to double down through diplomacy to find productive pathways for US-South Africa cooperation.”

Duplicate reviews

She said James’ amendment also unnecessarily duplicated an annual review already laid out in law under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Agoa gives eligible African countries like SA preferential access to the US market.

Kamlager-Dove noted that SA already received an automatic yearly Agoa review that took into consideration any activities that undermined US national security or foreign policy interests.

“This review is a requirement for any country to be deemed eligible to participate in Agoa,” she said.

Kamlager-Dove said it seemed as though the core purpose of James’ amendment was to undermine SA’s Agoa eligibility. Instead, Republicans should be trying to reauthorise Agoa.

The amendment was also badly timed as the new South African government formed after the elections needed time to set its course, she said.

The legislation which James tabled was one of several measures which the US Congress – mainly Republicans – has introduced recently in reaction to the perception that South Africa is no longer non-aligned as it claims to be, but is harming US interests by favouring its enemies, Russia, China and Iran in its foreign policies. DM

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‘Determine their own future’

Duplicate reviews