Kicking SA out of Agoa will hit hard

It is worrying that a group of US lawmakers, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, have asked the White House to move the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) summit away from South Africa.

They want this to be done as a sanction against South Africa’s perceived support of Russia.

Is our friendship with Russia and our steadfast policy of non-alignment going to backfire and cost the country dearly?

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The fact that the Agoa threat is bipartisan is of concern because it indicates that a broad range of Americans are upset about our global positions – an anger heightened by so far unproven allegations that this country shipped arms to Russia last year.

The argument of the US politicians is that this country should not be allowed to hold the summit if it is in danger of losing its Agoa privileges.

If that happens, there could be serious effects on the local economy, hitting sectors from the motor industry to agricultural exports, which would lose the substantial benefit from the reduction in tariffs for exports to the US which Agoa offers.

Thousands of jobs could be at risk at a time when the country is struggling to get back on its feet.

Ultimately, though, the decision on whether or not South Africa should be rapped over the knuckles – or worse – is going to be made by the White House.

READ MORE: Presidency slams talks of sanctions against SA as ‘reckless and alarmist’

Kicking this country out of Agoa would mean very little to the US economically, despite the claims by some social media hotheads here that America needs us more than we need them.

However, Agoa is a diplomatic, not financial, instrument. It is a way of keeping African countries firmly in the US orbit.

Level-headed diplomats and policy makers in Washington realise that hitting us on Agoa will drive us further into the arms of Russia and China.