US Congressman Defends South Africa, Objects to Bill Aiming to Sanction the Country and ANC Members
- Jonathan Luther Jackson has objected to a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on South Africa and African National Congress (ANC) officials
- The Democrat, who is the godson of Martin Luther King Jr, defended the country against claims made against it by Donald Trump
- Jackson spoke about how the country was the largest US trading partner in Africa, and had the right to an independent point of view
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Congressman Jonathan Luther Jackson has come out in defence of South Africa amid the possibility of sanctions being imposed upon the country and some African National Congress (ANC) officials.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 on Tuesday, 22 July 2025. Many of the lawmakers objected to South Africa's close ties with China and Russia, but Jackson doesn’t agree with the decision.
The Democrat, who is the son of American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, said the bill did nothing to advance bilateral relations with South Africa.
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What else did Jackson say?
The 59-year-old, who is the godson of Martin Luther King Jr, said the bill was non-diplomatic, but coercive. He added that there was no credibility to claims that there were cases of white genocide in the country.
“Those were manufactured pictures,” he said.
The US President Donald Trump has claimed that white Afrikaners were being persecuted in the country, and even shared evidence with President Cyril Ramaphosa during the latter’s visit to the White House.
The photos were proven to have been taken out of context and did not depict mass graves, as Trump claimed. Despite this, the US continues to push sanctions against South Africa, now using the narrative about the country’s ties to Iran and its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice as reasons for the sanctions.
Source: Getty Images
Jackson defends South Africa
In his defence of the country, the Democrat noted that South Africa was the largest US trading partner in Africa, saying it was a strategic partner and had a strong democracy committed to human rights.
He warned that the proposed bill would increase tensions and undermine progress made between the two countries. He also argued that the country had the right to an independent point of view.
Jackson was not the only person who objected to the bill, either. Fellow Democrat and House Representative Gregory Meeks also slammed the bill. Meeks also labelled his Republican counterparts as hypocrites for approving of the decision.
You can view his defence below.
What you need to know about SA and US relations
- AfriForum and Solidarity travelled to the United States to meet the Trump administration.
- The Democratic Alliance visited the US to attempt to ease tensions with the country.
- The US State Department said South Africa is making decisions not in the best interests of the US.
- Ebrahim Rasool was expelled from the US after his comments about Trump's leadership.
- Members of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) met with US officials.
- Trump announced a new set of tariffs for some countries, including South Africa, taking effect from 1 August 2025.
US Congressman introduces new bill
Briefly News reported that US Congressman Ronny Jackson introduced a new bill that could punish South Africa in April.
The US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act will give the US more tools to impose sanctions on the country.
The Republican said this was done after South Africa aligned itself with terrorist organisations like Hamas.
Source: Briefly News
