South Africa's diplomatic dilemma: Why the government has not sent envoys to the US

As South Africa's diplomatic relations with the United States continue to deteriorate, the government has still not sent a delegation to quell the diplomatic crisis with the US government, despite president Cyril Ramaphosa's announcing these plans more than a month ago.

SA is in the midst of a diplomatic crisis sparked by US President Donald Trump who has cut all aid to the country because of accusations of land confiscations aimed at white Afrikaners and its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

According to sources close to the government , Ramaphosa has not sent envoys yet because he fears that US president Donald Trump's administration might snub his delegation.

However, SA ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool, during a presentation stated that the US itself was not ready to meet with SA because they had yet to establish the Africa desk following the dismissal of more than 300 White House staffers.

The DA recently sent a delegation, represented by the party’s spokesperson in international  relations and cooperation, Emma Powell and Andrew Whitfield, deputy minister of trade and industry who is also a DA MP to the US, sparking outrage among opposition parties. 

The DA's visit was seen as an attempt to undermine the government's efforts to resolve the diplomatic crisis.

AfriForum and Solidarity have also sent delegations to visit Trump's administration.

"The DA's decision to double down on Afriforum's visit to the White House was not about the good of the country but about retaining the white vote in the next election.

“What the DA was doing was simply grabbing the opportunity to attract publicity by claiming common ground and common purpose with the US’s anti-diversity, anti-inclusivity, anti-redress and anti-justice agenda. The visit will do nothing to advance South Africa’s interests, while handsomely serving the DA, Afriforum, Solidarity and Trump's divisive identity agenda,” said GOOD party secretary-general, Brett Herron.

The ANC also criticised the DA's visit, saying it was not in the country's best interests. However, the ANC did acknowledge that the DA was free to meet with anyone they wanted to.

Not all opposition parties were diplomatic in their criticism. The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) accused the DA of being "ill-disciplined" and said their visit bordered on treason.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa was more measured in his response, saying that while the DA's visit was "typical politics," he didn't think it would cause any damage to the country.

Political analyst Sandile Swana said the US is not prioritising an engagement with the South African government.

"There is no Africa desk according to the ambassador to the US Ibrahim Rasool's presentation," Swana explained.

"The Secretary of State (Marco Rubio) in the department of international relations in the US does not have an Africa desk within that department. So our ambassador is struggling to find a place where he can plug in and engage the US government on these matters."

"The US appears to be not yet ready to meet with us," Swana said. 

"They have been engaging Hamas directly, Vladimir Putin directly, and Zelensky directly... so they are prioritising those issues. The main core of business they have with us is to withdraw the ICJ matter and the ICC matter against Israel president Netanyahu... that is the business they have with us."

Meanwhile the withdrawal of US funding for the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and its community-led monitoring project, Ritshidze, has sent shockwaves through South Africa's public healthcare system. 

The funding cuts, resulting from executive orders made by Trump, that have left the organisations facing an uncertain future as they have been forced to retrench hundreds of staff.

"The withdrawal of PEPFAR-supported NGOs from our clinics has led to the departure of 15,154 clinic staff with years of institutional knowledge," said Sibongile Tshabalala, the Treatment Action Campaign's National Chairperson.