US Congress sanctions ANC officials ties to Iran, China, Russia

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Officials in the United States Congress have introduced a bill to sanction senior South African government and ANC officials who support their “adversaries”.

Congressman Ronny Jackson unveiled the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, a significant legislative proposal to reevaluate the bilateral relationship between the United States (US) and South Africa.

The bill mandates a comprehensive review to identify South African government officials and leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) who may be subject to sanctions for their alleged support of American adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran.

In a press release, Jackson accused South Africa of undermining US foreign policy.

“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,” he stated.

The congressman emphasised that the legislation aims to hold corrupt officials accountable while ensuring Congress conducts a thorough review of what he termed a supposed “ally.”

If passed, the bill would bolster President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda by allowing him to impose sanctions on corrupt or uncooperative South African officials.

“The era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now,” Jackson declared.

Co-sponsoring the bill, Rep. John James expressed pride in supporting the legislation.

“This bill builds on and strengthens my bipartisan legislation from the last Congress – which successfully passed the House and supports President Trump’s Executive Order from February 7 addressing egregious actions of the Republic of South Africa.”

James and Jackson have both criticised the South African government and the ANC for consistently undermining US national security interests, mainly through their alignment with Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran, as well as their pursuit of an anti-Israel agenda.

The members of Congress have pointed to interactions between the South African government and the Chinese Communist Party as particularly troubling, accusing them of violating human rights and employing economically coercive tactics globally, which they argue undermine South Africa’s democratic constitutional system.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has taken a firmer stance on South Africa, emphasising a need to scrutinise its international relationships and hold accountable those collaborating with US adversaries.

Analysts have noted that the US’s targeting of South Africa reflects a broader strategy to counteract influence from rival powers in critical regions.

What the bill says

The bill states that no later than 120 days after enactment, the President, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a classified report including:

A list of senior South African government officials and ANC leaders that US the President determines have engaged in corruption or human rights abuses.
The report will also include a detailed explanation describing the conduct forming the basis of the person’s inclusion on the list, and the expected timeline for sanctions.

The bill states that the South African government’s foreign policy actions have long ceased to reflect its stated stances of nonalignment, with it favouring Hamas, the Russian Federation and China.

It identifies eight key problem areas with the ANC and South Africa:

The ANC’s policies are inconsistent with South Africa’s stated policy of non-alignment in international affairs.
The South African Government has a history of siding with malign actors, including Hamas, a United States-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a proxy of the Iranian regime, and continues to pursue closer ties with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation.
The South African Government’s continued support of Hamas.
Members of the South African government delivering “antisemitic and antiIsrael” statements and actions following the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
The South African Government and the ANC maintain close relations with the Russian Federation, which has been accused of perpetrating war crimes in Ukraine and indiscriminately undermining human rights.
The South African Government’s interactions with the PRC Government and ANC interactions with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who are committing gross violations of human rights in the Xinjiang province and implementing economically coercive tactics around the globe.
The ANC-led South African Government’s history of substantially mismanaging a range of state resources and often being “proven incapable of effectively delivering public services, threatening the South African people and the South African economy”.
The most recent comments by former ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, describing President Trump as ‘‘extreme,’’ and characterising him as a white supremacist.

The full text of the bill as below: