ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula. (X)
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has dared the US to “bring on” sanctions against the party leadership, saying it will not beg “imperialists” to subvert the country’s democracy.
“If they want to bring sanctions on us, let them bring them. This country, South Africa, and all its citizens, know that it’s a democratic country, it’s a liberated country and we are still transforming this country in order to achieve equity,” Mbalula said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
“We will still pursue redress; we are not equal in this economy. This economy is still male white dominated and you want to tell us to abandon policies that seek to advance transformation.”
Organisations such as Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum and union Solidarity have urged US sanctions against “corrupt” ANC leaders and have also pushed the narrative of a “genocide” against white people in South Africa which has contributed to a testy relationship with President Donald Trump’s administration, which has offered sanctuary in the US for white Afrikaners.
President Cyril Ramaphosa sought to dispel this during his meeting with Trump in Washington earlier this year. The US administration has also slammed policies such as black economic empowerment and legislation such as the Expropriation Act as being discriminatory against whites. However, Pretoria argues they are meant to correct racial imbalances created by apartheid.
US congressman Ronny Jackson has introduced a bill that seeks to sanction ANC leaders for supporting America’s enemies, such as China, Russia and Iran, which recently passed through the US foreign affairs committee.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, former ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool, former international relations minister Naledi Pandor and the party’s deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane could be some of the casualties of this bill.
In a post on X post in May, Jackson accused South Africa of withdrawing from the US and its allies in recent years while deepening relationships with its adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and Hamas.
In July, Jackson celebrated that “my bill to fully review America’s relationship with South Africa and give President Trump the tools necessary to hold their corrupt government accountable passed through committee”.
“The days of allowing our so-called ‘allies’ to walk all over us are over!” Jackson added.
On Wednesday, Mbalula said the Trump administration was asking the ANC to abandon its ideals and adopt a position similar to the Democratic Alliance (DA), with which it has clashed over transformation policies, leading to tension in the government of national unity (GNU) led by the two parties.
“You are asking the ANC to abandon what we stand for, to stop struggling, close shop and become something. We are not DA — the DA will address that because they do not want affirmative action, they don’t want redress, they don’t believe in transformation,” Mbalula said.
South Africa is bracing for a 30% tariff on exports to the US to kick in on 7 August. The country is among several around the world facing punitive tariffs from the US as it moves to protect its own manufacturers.
Mbalula said while the tariffs would negatively affect the economy, it would not abandon policies such as black economic empowerment to appease Washington.
“It’s not going to be possible. If it means we have to suffer sanctions from the US, let it be. We will never beg imperialists to subvert our democracy, to subvert our sovereignty,” he said.
“It happened during the period of struggle, it will happen even now, we will never forsake what we fought for … and we are still marching even now.”
Mbalula said the ANC had also resolved at its four-day national executive committee meeting held last Friday to Monday to begin speaking to other political parties about joining the government of national unity, a move which would dilute the DA’s power.
“The DA wanted to have a marriage between us. Those who want to leave can leave, but this country must not collapse, and it will not collapse at the hands of the ANC; it’s going to succeed going forward. They advocated for sanctions against our country, disguised as tariffs to hit us. Where is the national interest and where do we draw the line?”