President Cyril Ramaphosa is hailing the three-day African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa) forum that starts in Johannesburg on Thursday as a milestone in improving South Africa’s recently strained relationship with the US.
“[It] is going to enhance our relationship with the biggest economy in the world, where we export a number of our goods and services. So it’s going to be one of the highlights of the year for us,” Ramaphosa said on the sidelines of an oversight visit to Emfuleni local municipality on Friday.
The Agoa forum is being held as scheduled in South Africa despite agitation by conservative lawmakers in the US earlier this year for it to be moved, mainly because of Pretoria’s stance on the war in Ukraine. South Africa, declaring itself non-aligned, has abstained from UN resolutions condemning Russia.
The US lawmakers cited allegations that South Africa shipped arms to Russia — which have never been substantiated — and its participation in naval exercises with Russia and China.
In July Ramaphosa sent a high-level delegation, including finance minister Enoch Godongwana, international relations minister Naledi Pandor and minister of trade Ebrahim Patel, to the US to mend fences and discuss Agoa.
Despite the diplomatic challenges, Ramaphosa — who met US President Joe Biden in Washington in September last year and had brief talks with him at the G20 summit in India in September this year — said he was confident that South Africa would put on a world-class conference this week.
The president is highly enthused about the deep nature and resilience of our trade, political and diplomatic relationship with the US, despite the recent headwinds that both countries had to navigate in the relationship
— Vincent Magwenya
“It’s going to be a very important event for us and we are going to try and execute it as well as we executed Brics. We are going to have more than 40 countries here through their trade ministers, and a ‘made in Africa’ exhibition. We have invited various African countries to exhibit what they make and what they are proud of. It’s going to be a great moment.”
More than 2,000 delegates are expected at Nasrec for the Agoa forum. They will explore ways of enhancing the partnership — which, among other things, allows duty-free access to the US market — and will discuss renewing it for another 10 years. It is due to expire in 2025.
Patel said the US delegation, led by trade secretary Katherine Tai, would include members of Congress, business leaders and labour and civil society representatives.
He acknowledged relations between South Africa and the US had not been smooth but said the two countries had put their differences aside for the Agoa pact.
“The long relationship with the US has weathered many storms. It has gone through many periods and has remained intact because there is strong mutual benefit for both South Africa and the US in building and strengthening this relationship,” he said.
Patel said both governments were willing to work together to strengthen the relationship.
“It’s easier for trust to be eroded than for trust to be built, and it takes time for trust to be built. What we have had in the case of the US, is that while there has been the challenge [of the alleged arms shipment to Russia], we have had strong relations.
“Over this period there’s been discussions from secretary of state Antony Blinken, and minister Naledi Pandor’s side, on a range of global issues … In the last 12 months [we have] strongly built on those relationships.”
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa has always sought to build friendships with all countries based on common and shared values and interests.
“The diplomatic efforts that [Ramaphosa] has led since the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict have been about explaining our non-aligned position, advocating for an immediate and peaceful resolution to the conflict,” said Magwenya.
Ramaphosa had undertaken these diplomatic engagements to strengthen South Africa’s partnerships, “recognising the levels of volatility in the world and that, if left unmanaged, could undermine our developmental agenda”.
“As we head to the Agoa forum, the president is highly enthused about the deep nature and resilience of our trade, political and diplomatic relationship with the US, despite the recent headwinds that both countries had to navigate in the relationship.”
International relations expert Prof John Stremlau said the confidence that Ramaphosa exudes is “well grounded.”
“He has been trying to balance a number of competing obligations and interests of the South African state and people and he has done it admirably well. On the particular issue of Agoa, I was never really worried, although I sensed that the Congressional leaders in the US were more agitated about the Lady R incident or the position that South Africa had taken on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, more than the executive branch.”
The Biden administration, he said, has always recognised that there is a strategic partnership between the two democracies that is “resilient and advantageous” to both countries.
“So they will go to the limit, except that they want to have explanations, and I believe that Cyril and Biden have a very good personal relationship. Biden probably feels like he knows Ramaphosa as a person and leader and has confidence in him.”
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