US-SA relations sour over Russia, China military drills

Johannesburg – The House of Representatives in the United States of America is pushing for a review of relations with South Africa over its hosting of military exercises with China and Russia.

The joint maritime drills, called Exercise Mosi II, off the KwaZulu-Natal coastline, began on 17 February 2023 and concluded on Friday, (24 February).

The drills coincided with the first anniversary of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

With the U.S.A. backing Ukraine and supplying it with arms ostensibly to defend itself, it comes as no surprise that the House of Representatives – led by the majority Republican Party – has called on the Biden administration to conduct a “thorough review of the United States-South Africa relationship”.

South Africa’s Department of Defence has defended its right to host exercises like Mosi II with China and Russia and sees it as an opportunity to strengthen bonds with those two countries, in spite of criticism.

Ahead of the joint exercises, SA Defence Minister Thandi Modise said: “The envisaged exercise will benefit all countries involved through Interoperability of the naval systems, joint disaster systems management enhancement, maritime cooperation, and anti-piracy exercises”.

Modise said Exercise Mosi II will serve as a platform for the three nations to share operational skills, expertise, and experience with the exercise set to “benefit all three participating nations”.

The Bulrushes can report with authority that the House of Representatives, which is opposed to South Africa hosting Mosi II, wants the southern Africa economic powerhouse to cancel all future military exercises with China and Russia and instead rejoin United States-led exercises, such as the 11 ‘‘Cutlass Express’’.

The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, (21 February 2023), the 118th Congress’ first session included a discussion opposing South Africa’s hosting of military exercises with China and Russia.

The U.S.A. and South African militaries have historically undertaken joint military exercises and enjoyed good relations, including SA hosting American troops for Exercise ‘‘Shared Accord’’ in 2022, the fourth time they have hosted this exercise since 2011.

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The U.S.A. also has historic Department of Defense participation in South Africa’s biennial African Aerospace Defense Exhibition, and through the periodic convening of the bilateral U.S.-South Africa Defense Committee.

However, Congress noted that South Africa has declined to participate in the planned ‘‘Cutlass Express’’ military exercises with the United States later this year.

Among the many other issues looked into, Congress also called on the U.S.A. government to keep it apprised by providing regular and comprehensive briefings on subjects relating to South Africa including:

A complete account of all known United States-sanctioned entities and transnational criminal organisations’ connections to illicit proceeds linked to wildlife trafficking;
A detailed account of positive economic results stemming from South Africa’s inclusion in the African Growth and Opportunity Act and 15 the United States-South Africa Trade and Investment Framework signed in 2012; and
A timeline to end the Biden administration’s climate colonialism by including gas-to-power initiatives to counter the widespread and nationwide blackouts costing the South African economy an estimated $200 million per day.
The U.S.A. is also keeping a beady eye on the upcoming BRICS Summit in South Africa later this year.

South Africa is scheduled to hold the 15th BRICS leaders’ meeting of Brazil, Russia, India, and China in August 2023.

Commenting on the development, South Africa-based Professor Arthur Mutambara – the former deputy prime minister of Zimbabwe – said: “The meddling Americans must allow Africans agency in geopolitics. We as Africans must determine our global partners.

“We reject, with the contempt that it deserves, this shameful and despicable US interference in African foreign policy and commercial diplomacy formulation”.

On the energy matter, Professor Mutambara said: “The proposers of the legislation are trying to be clever and half.

“They are opposing the Russians and Chinese but also want to appear like they support SA against Biden’s move to green energy without justice… let us allow SA to use oil and gas… It is a very minor point of their proposal.”

Last year in November, the U.S.A. joined Britain, France, Germany and the European Union in a multi-billion-dollar partnership to help South Africa finance a quicker transition from coal.

The initiative was valued at $8.5 billion overall and would help move the world toward meeting its climate targets by “choking off international finance for coal”.

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