“America’s desire to dominate” will persist, a former South African MP has said
America’s foreign policy on Africa is unlikely to shift significantly as a result of the US presidential election, regardless of who wins, Themba Godi, a former member of the South African National Assembly, has told RT in an exclusive interview.
Godi believes that regardless of whether Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, or Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wins, Washington’s fundamental policies will remain the same.
“America’s desire to dominate and exploit the continent will remain,” he said. “I dare say, not only in relation to Africa, but in relation to all other countries in the world, whether it’s Europe, whether it’s Asia, whether it’s South America, the fundamentals of American police remain consistent.”
Godi expressed skepticism about the value of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), suggesting that it provides limited support for African independence in economic terms.
Godi argued that the AGOA, while allowing some African nations to trade duty-free with the US, does not meaningfully determine Africa’s trade relations with America. He noted recent discussions in the US Congress to reassess ties with South Africa over its stance on Palestine, stressing that “Trump is transactional, he’s crude, he’s direct, whereas Harris, Biden, the Democrats, they are your typical liberals who smile but continue the same policies.”
Regarding US influence in South Africa, Godi highlighted the restrictions on access to RT and recent visits by Ukrainian officials as examples of Western pressure on South Africa to diverge from the general BRICS line. South Africa is “the focus of attempts to manipulate our foreign policy positions,” he said.
However, Philani Mthembu, the executive director of the Institute for Global Dialogue – a foreign policy think tank based in Pretoria – expects a “big divergence” regarding international relations depending on whether Harris or Trump is elected.
Reflecting on the current administration, he noted that a Harris administration would likely carry forward the policies of Biden, both domestically and internationally. This, he said, contrasts with Trump’s more unpredictable approach.
On Wednesday, the last polling station in the US presidential election closed. The New York Times has reported that the Republican candidate has a more than 95% chance of winning the election.
Trump has crossed the threshold of 270 electoral votes, media projections show.
