Cyril Ramaphosa is president of South Africa.
As the U.S. House debates a bill on the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa, it is important to understand the history and the value of the economic, political and social ties that bind our two countries. We might differ on some issues roiling the world today, but a strong partnership such as ours can withstand principled disagreements.
Over the past 30 years, our two countries have had a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship. South Africans remember the great support the American people gave us during our struggle for democracy. And the United States has continued to provide substantial support to South Africa in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
South Africa is today home to more than 600 U.S. companies, and the United States is the second-largest destination for South African exports. Some of South Africa's largest companies have made significant investments in key economic sectors in the United States.
An important engine of economic ties between our two nations is the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which grants qualifying African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for their exports. These measures continue to contribute to Africa's industrialization and economic diversification, just as they provide a platform for U.S. investors to participate in the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The United States is an important partner, alongside a growing number of other countries, providing support for South Africa's just transition to a low-carbon economy. South Africa is a valuable source of critical minerals for the global energy transition.
But in seeking to build the relationship between our two countries, South Africa has always been guided by an independent foreign policy.
Consistent with its history, South Africa has taken a nonaligned position in international relations. Since 1994, democratic South Africa has deliberately avoided aligning itself with any of the major powers or blocs. Rather, it has sought to forge cordial relations with all countries. It has upheld and promoted the United Nations Charter and has opposed violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of U.N. member states.
South Africa has sought to advance an inclusive and representative world order, to strengthen multilateralism and to promote the resolution of conflict through dialogue.
This helps explain our position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. From the outset, we have maintained that the international community needs to work together to urgently achieve a cessation of hostilities and to prevent further loss of life and displacement of civilians in Ukraine. It needs to support meaningful dialogue toward a lasting peace, which ensures the security and stability of all nations.
Our position seeks to contribute to the creation of conditions that make the achievement of a durable resolution of the conflict possible. For this reason, South Africa has been part of an African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia, an initiative aimed at achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution of the war.
We do not accept that our nonaligned position favors Russia above other countries. Nor do we accept that it imperils our relations with other countries.
Indeed, our relationship with the United States is characterized by mutual respect and a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue even on issues where we may differ. When claims emerged that a Russian ship that had docked in a South African port in December 2022 had supposedly loaded weapons destined for Russia, we established an independent inquiry. The investigation found no evidence for the claims and the matter was put to rest.
One other contentious issue has been the case that South Africa has brought to the International Court of Justice, where we argued that the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza violate international law.
Our application to the court is consistent not only with our obligations as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, but also the call we have always made for an inclusive negotiated settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict consistent with U.N. resolutions. We have always supported the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians to self-determination and statehood and of the state of Israel to peace and security.
We have consistently called for the application of international law, condemning the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and calling for the release of hostages. We continue to call for an immediate cease-fire, the urgent provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and meaningful negotiations toward a lasting solution.
These are mainstream positions that are increasingly being taken up by more and more countries around the world. Our stance should therefore not lead to a deterioration of our relations with the United States.
As we continue to engage on these and other global issues in a constructive manner, South Africa believes there is great potential to further develop our relationship with the United States and to continue to seek ways to work together for a more peaceful, stable and just world.
This article was downloaded by calibre from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/28/ramaphosa-south-africa-us-partnership/
Previous | Articles | Sections | Next |