United States sanctions on corrupt South African leaders one step closer

United States Congressman Ronny Jackson has introduced a Bill that could see the US President impose sanctions on South African government officials and ANC leaders.

The Bill, which has now successfully passed through the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees of the US House of Representatives, would mandate a full review of the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa.

Jackson’s office explained that this Bill, called the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, would help advance US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda.

The Bill gives the US President the tools necessary to impose sanctions on “corrupt South African government officials who choose to support America’s adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran”.

“South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the United States to align with China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist organisations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences,” Jackson said. 

“This legislation ensures we conduct a comprehensive review of this supposed ‘ally’ while also holding accountable any corrupt officials. The era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now.”

In the Bill, it is explained that the actions of factions within the ANC are inconsistent with the South African government’s publicly stated policy of non-alignment in international affairs.

The Bill further claims that South Africa’s government has a history of siding with malign actors, including Hamas, and continues to pursue closer ties with China and Russia. 

The legislation details the ANC’s history in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, outlining how some South African leaders have favoured the latter over the former.

It also specifically named President Cyril Ramaphosa, who publicly accused Israel of genocide on 14 October 2023.

The Bill raised particular dissatisfaction with South Africa’s role in taking Israel to the International Court of Justice.

Outside of diplomatic relations, Jackson’s Bill also took issue with the ANC’s history of “substantial mismanaging” state resources.

“The ANC-led South African Government has a history of substantially mismanaging a range of state resources and has often proven incapable of effectively delivering public services, threatening the South African people and the South African economy,” it said.

The Bill pointed to Ramaphosa declaring a state of disaster in 2023 over the ongoing multi-year power crisis in South Africa. The Bill stated that this resulted from the ANC’s “chronic mismanagement” of Eskom. 

It further said that Transnet’s disrupted rail operations put pressure on mining companies and partly attributed this to “malfeasance and corruption” by former Transnet officials. 

It also commented on the rampant state capture that emerged and grew within the ANC over the years, specifically pointing to the damage former President Jacob Zuma did to South Africa’s international standing.

If this Bill is enacted, the United States government, including Trump and other government officials, will conduct a comprehensive review of the bilateral relationship between the US and South Africa.

Trump will submit a report on these findings to the appropriate congressional committees no later than 120 days after the Bill is enacted.

This report will include a list of senior South African government officials and ANC leaders that Trump determines have engaged in corruption or human rights abuses that would be sufficient, based on credible evidence, to meet the criteria for the imposition of sanctions.