(Photo compilation: Maroela Media)
Solidarity requested the government to respond to the US government’s demands after it was announced that funding from the Pepfar program would be stopped.
Pepfar, or the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, is a state initiative of the US government to help combat HIV/AIDS worldwide.
According to Solidarity, the Pepfar decision is a direct result of the South African government’s inability to respond meaningfully to disputes between South Africa and the USA over the past 17 months.
The organization says that the Trump administration already made its concerns about various issues in South Africa clear in February last year. Since then, numerous talks have been held to resolve the dispute.
Solidarity says it has meanwhile worked closely with the government, the US government and the new US ambassador to propose possible solutions. The proposals focus, among other things, on rural security, the protection of property rights, so-called race laws and South Africa’s foreign policy.
Jaco Kleynhans, head of public liaison at Solidarity, says, however, that it seems that the South African government is not acting urgently enough to settle the dispute.
“While President Cyril Ramaphosa and his team seem to hope that the dispute will go away by itself or that they simply have to see out the term of the current American administration, there is a great risk that more measures such as the termination of funding, trade tariffs and even sanctions could adversely affect ordinary South Africans,” says Kleynhans.
Archive photo for illustration purposes only. (Photo: AFP)
He warns that South African workers and ordinary citizens are ultimately paying the price for the deteriorating relations between the two countries.
According to Solidarity, it is clear that the American government is increasing its pressure on South Africa.
“However, it is unfortunate that this is due to the loss of Pepfar funding.”
Solidarity has also expressed concern about import tariffs on South African products and warns that further tariff increases in the future cannot be ruled out.
Kleynhans says a comprehensive agreement between the two countries is now essential.
“The past months of negotiations have proven that with the necessary political will, an agreement is within reach. The announcement about the termination of the Pepfar funding should now encourage the government to resume discussions with the US government.”
Solidarity says it still meets regularly with both governments and remains committed to a settlement.
According to the organization, a strong trade agreement, the extension of the Agoa agreement and relations that promote US investment in South Africa are of critical importance to the country’s economic future.