The ruling party in Harare says Washington could have resolved its issues with Pretoria without resorting to sanctions but has instead chosen to “misdirect itself”
Zimbabwe’s ruling party (ZANU–PF) says South Africa should not be intimidated by a proposed US bill that could empower President Donald Trump with “superpowers” to impose sanctions on African National Congress (ANC) leaders.
ZANU–PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the United States should not “misdirect itself” in its diplomatic relations with South Africa.
”These issues could be resolved without resorting to sanctions. But if America decides to go its own way, so be it – we’ve had over two decades of experience dealing with sanctions,” Mutsvangwa said.
He made the comments on Friday at the ANC’s 2025 Liberation Movements Summit in Kempton Park.
He said the US’ previous sanctions on Zimbabwe had not derailed the country’s progress. ”They have not stopped Zimbabwe from making progress. On the contrary, we are now potentially the most dynamic economy on the African continent,” Mutsvangwa told Newzroom Afrika.
“Who would have thought that Zimbabwe would now be developing a third-world steel industry – one that even America might look at with a bit of jealousy?”
Last year, the US imposed sanctions on Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accusing him of serious human rights violations after his disputed victory in the 2023 elections.
Relations between Washington and Harare have been strained for more than 20 years. The US initially imposed economic and travel sanctions on Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, targeting the late President Robert Mugabe and several senior government officials, accusing them of eroding democratic principles.
However, on March 4, 2024, former President Joe Biden officially ended the US sanctions program against Zimbabwe, lifting restrictions on all previously sanctioned individuals, entities, and assets under that policy.
He encouraged South Africa to view the situation from a more optimistic perspective. ”Don’t worry about being pushed around by superpowers. We’ve travelled that road before. We share experiences, and we have the resources anyway,” he added.
This comes after reports that the US Congressman Ronny Jackson introduced the US and South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, a bill that could sanction ANC leaders for allegedly supporting US adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran.
On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the issue while visiting BMW South Africa.
”We’ve heard what has happened in the House Committee, but the process still has a long way to go,” Ramaphosa said.
“Our bilateral dealings and engagements with the United States will continue, and we’ll talk about all manner of things – including this issue.”
Ramaphosa added that South Africa values its diplomatic relations with the US and hopes to strengthen them through continued dialogue.
”We are very positive that the outcome of our engagements with the United States will be comprehensive and all-encompassing, so we can return to good deals with the United States,” he said.
IOL News previously reported that the ANC said it is pinning its hopes on Democrats in the US Congress, particularly those who supported the anti-apartheid movement, to block the bill.
”There are many Democrats, including those who were part of the anti-apartheid movements, who will stand up to caution Americans against supporting a president who wants to censor and undermine the sovereignty of other nations,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
Bengu-Motsiri said the ANC will vigorously oppose any attempt to isolate it through renewed sanctions.
”Remember, we come from a history where sanctions were imposed against the apartheid system,” she said. “The ANC was also isolated by countries that worked closely with the apartheid regime, including the United States.”
The bill, which was passed through the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees, will now be presented before the full US House of Representatives for a vote.
