Lamola warns of deepening tensions between SA, US

South Africa is preparing for a possible further deterioration in relations with the United States as disagreements over domestic policy and foreign affairs intensify.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said Washington was challenging Pretoria’s sovereignty over its own policies, including Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), land reform and the expropriation of land without compensation.

Speaking during a visit to Washington ahead of the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) in New York, Lamola warned against what he described as an attempt to sabotage South Africa’s economy, and criticised the US programme offering refugee status to Afrikanersm, calling it "Apartheid 2.0" .

"I think South Africa has to prepare itself for the worst-case scenario because the reality is that we are expected to surrender our sovereignty on issues related to BEE, to issues related to land reform, in particular expropriation as outlined in the Expropriation Act, with nil compensation and on a number of issues that belong to the sovereignty which South African public and South African institutions are capable of handling and dealing with, including on issues of our own foreign policy, the progressive foreign policy with the human rights outlook, which is in the UN Charter," Lamola said

He said Pretoria would defend its independent foreign policy and reject external pressure on matters he described as falling within the sovereignty of the South African people.

Lamola is leading South Africa‘s delegation to the 81st UNGA session in New York, where he is also seeking to mend ties with Washington through meetings with US lawmakers and diplomats.

With input from local media