South Africa’s new business-friendly coalition government signaled that its foreign policy will be focused on furthering the nation’s economic interests, a shift that could help mend rifts with Western countries that rank among its largest trading partners.
The African National Congress, which dominated South African politics for three decades after apartheid rule ended, drew the country closer to China and Russia and strained ties with the US and European Union in the process. Pretoria’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and decision to lay of genocide charges against Israel in an international court over its war in Gaza have been particularly contentious.
But the ANC lost its outright majority in May 29 elections and entered into a so-called government of national unity with nine other parties — all of which have agreed that growing the economy should be the new administration’s primary focus.
“We intend to integrate our efforts to help the processes of economic growth through foreign direct investment, but also through ensuring the industrialization of our domestic markets,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters in Pretoria on on Monday. “Whenever you hear me speak, it should be the same as what you hear from the ministers of trade and finance. That is the direction we want to take so that our work is focused, integrated and coherent.”
Some US legislators have called for a immediate review of South Africa’s preferential access to US markets under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. A delegation of ministers that oversee South Africa’s economy have made several recent trips to Washington to try and smooth out relations.
Lamola, who was appointed to his post after the May vote, stressed that South Africa will continue to maintain pressure on Israel to abandon its war in Gaza.
Pretoria is weighing its options after Israel ignored an International Court of Justice directive that it must act to prevent Palestinians from being killed or injured, including a possible approach to the UN Security Council to enforce the ruling, he said.
Read: One step forward, two steps back for South Africa
