EDITORIAL: Fix SA-US relations first

Since the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool as SA’s ambassador to the US, several names have been floated as his possible successor. Most are decent and well respected and would represent the country well on any good day. But today is not that good day.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ultimate decisionmaker in this appointment, would do well to take his time to apply his mind to one of the most consequential appointments of his presidency.

The SA-US relationship has hit its lowest point in the past 30-odd years. And Rasool, who returned to the country on Sunday, hasn’t helped. Judging by his remarks at his welcome rallies, he appears to have learnt little from this debacle.

Mending bilateral government-to-government relations should be a priority. Sending one individual now would not be a magic wand to these frosty relations. In fact, it might worsen things. 

Instead, more effort should be expended on preparing ground on narrowing differences between the governments. Most probably, common ground would be found when the two governments agree to disagree but continue trade, political and people-to-people relations.

However, this is unlikely to be a walk in the park.

As happened during the Lady R saga (when a Russian vessel docked in Simon’s Town) it would require various sectors of society — including non-governmental organisations, trade unions, churches and business bodies — to weigh in on this effort.

Most of the issues seem intractable at present. Among others, these include SA’s relationship with Iran, SA’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, SA’s support for Palestine, the management of the Cape sea route and SA’s relationship with China, as well as SA’s domestic policies such as BEE and land expropriation.

The first set of issues — strictly foreign policy ones — are divisive and emotional, including in SA. These belong to the “agreeing to disagree” basket of issues. They are also more partisan and ideological in nature.

The domestic policies, such as BEE and land expropriation laws, are sovereign issues and are permissible within SA’s constitution. In a way, they could be seen in the same light as the batch of executive orders that US President Donald Trump has signed.

These orders are extraordinary and controversial, but they don’t make Trump a lawless president.

SA’s BEE laws are not illegal. We have an independent judiciary to adjudicate disputes between people and companies.

The latest iteration of the Expropriation Act is neither unconstitutional nor illegal. Nor has there been a confiscation of private property without compensation.

SA and its people are victims of misinformation by a tiny minority of well-organised and well-funded local NGOs and former South Africans who now live in the US. 

Pretoria should set up a war room. A core mandate of the room should be to explain SA’s domestic policies to its citizens and the world. This must include testimonies of the hundreds of US companies invested in SA for decades.

Much damage has been done in the past fortnight in bilateral relations.

Still, there would be little point in rushing in to send a new ambassador to Washington now and a new appointee might not even be accredited.  

The priority now needs to be a serious investment in thawing relations between the two countries.