US election’s impact on SA minimal, experts say

With US President Joe Biden set to leave the White House if Donald Trump wins the November elections, the result is unlikely to have a significant impact on South Africa-US relations, say experts.

And that’s because, when it comes to foreign policy, there is little difference in the agenda between the Democratic and Republican parties in the US.

No matter who is in the White House, US foreign policy is to maintain its hegemony over Russia and China. This includes keeping as many developing nations as it can on its side, they add.

Both candidates pursue world domination

Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast of Nelson Mandela University said neither of the two candidates was better for SA because they both pursued the same agenda of world domination.

He said US foreign policy was driven by multinational corporations which dictated that country’s policy direction regardless of who was in power in the US.

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Breakfast said the only difference between Trump and Biden was the approach.

The former was far right, conservative and inward-looking while the latter was liberal and supposedly centrist.

But they both had a common agenda to pursue US imperialism and hegemony in the world.

“There will be no change in US foreign policy towards South Africa. Even if Trump replaces Biden, they both pursue capital accumulation which is the bedrock of US policymaking.

“I’m sure they are both happy that the ANC political hegemony in South Africa was dealt a blow in the May election,” he said.

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SA-US relation in the past

In the past, Trump put SA on the back burner and his administration interacted with SA’s rightwing elements who complained to Washington about farm murders and threats of land expropriation by the then ANC government.

While Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton had a close personal relationship, it did not translate into strong diplomatic and trade ties between both nations.

Barack Obama, another Democrat, did not do a better job either, say experts.

While relations were cordial between the two countries, Obama did not pay an official visit to SA except for attending Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in December 2013 and addressing the 16th annual Mandela lecture in July 2018 after he had left office.

SA and the US also differed on the Ukraine-Russian war after SA refused to openly condemn Russia for the attack. Instead, it stuck to its non-aligned position.

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SA also took Israel, a staunch US ally, to the International Court of Justice for its “genocidal intent” in Gaza, a move that ruffled feathers in the West.

SA is a member of Brics – the intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA – which initiated the move on the de-dollarisation of international trade. SA still has to clarify its position on this.

GNU attracts interest from US

The establishment of SA’s government of national unity has attracted interest from the US.

The Biden administration hinted at elevating the relationship from its current status.

But that is if he survives the pressure within the Democrats to stand down due to his deteriorating health or a predicted defeat by Trump, add experts.

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Both sides hinted this week that Biden could undertake an official state visit to SA.

On the other hand, Trump had never prioritised Africa throughout his term in the Oval Office.

He appointed Lana Marks as ambassador to SA late in his term while Biden sent Reuben Brigety just over 18 months after his election.

SA and US needed each other

Politics lecturer at the University of Pretoria, Sithembile Mbete, said South Africa and the US needed each other.

They were not only friendly countries but were strategic partners in the eyes of the US.

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