South Africans Want To Align With The West
Despite preaching support for human rights and an opposition to genocide and imperialism, the ANC only cares about personal enrichment and historical ideological ties.
The African National Congress (ANC) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) have not only done the country a huge disservice by alienating Western powers, but have run counter to the wishes of a huge proportion of South Africans – and the interests of all South Africans.
The ANC sees itself primarily as a political party first, steeped in Marxist revolutionary rhetoric and a legacy of struggle, and the government of a country second – if at all. Its approach to foreign policy has been to enrich itself through taking bribes from foreign dictators to provide diplomatic cover, all the while pushing a neo-Cold War ideology of the West vs the rest.
ANC rhetoric portrays Western powers in Europe and the United States as colonisers, imperialists and agents of a capitalist world order that can be blamed for every issue in their country.
This foreign policy has led the ANC to use South Africa’s DIRCO to align the country more and more with increasingly rogue states.
On the back of years of corrupt nuclear deals with Moscow, condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been almost non-existent.This makes sense, as many ANC officials were trained in Moscow during their struggle years. And even amongst the young ANC voters, there is still a sense of solidarity with the Soviet Union. Even if it doesn’t exist anymore.
This is even though Russia is a true imperial power. Not only are they involved in an unjustified war of conquest against Ukraine, but they also possess the largest land empire in the modern world – controlling millions of conquered peoples.
Iran is another immoral ally of the ANC. Acknowledgement of Tehran’s murder of likely 30,000 Iranian civilians has been mooted by the ANC’s parroting of Tehran narratives, and declaration that the civilians are also committing violence. As if rocks and protests are comparable to automatic weapons and death squads.
China is a hard partner to avoid in today’s modern economy, but the ANC seems to see Beijing as a model to copy. It is particularly hypocritical that the ANC has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over genocide charges, while China has been undertaking a blatant genocide of its minority Muslim population. This is not to mention the Chinese government’s state supported racism against Africans, and its persecution of Africans living in China during the Covid pandemic.
The ANC’s obsession with perceived anti-Western actors doesn’t end at these three ill-chosen allies. In 2017, the South African government refused to arrest Sudanese dictator Al-Bashir over charges of genocide and war crimes. The ANC maintains positive relations with North Korea, despite its continued crimes against humanity.
Zimbabwe under Mugabe and Zanu-PF committed ethnic cleansing, mass property theft and the complete destruction of its economy. The ANC supported the regime every step of the way.
Despite preaching support for human rights and an opposition to genocide and imperialism, the ANC only cares about personal enrichment and historical ideological ties.
This has left South Africa on the wrong side of history, as we continue to host naval exercises involving Russia and Iran, continue to provide diplomatic cover for terrorism through waging “lawfare” on Israel at the ICJ, and keep antagonizing countries like the United States and Israel who could be profitable and essential partners to enrich our people.
The West has its problems. Nothing is perfect. But the West’s problems are also present in Iran, Russia, and China. There is no moral reason to keep siding with authoritarian states at the expense of our relations with more morally upright countries.
Voters do not align with the ANC’s anti-West stance. In 2022, 74.3% of South Africans condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 54% held unfavourable views of Russia and 57% held unfavourable views of Iran.
A small majority of South African preferred South Africa to align itself with the West, rather than Russia and China.
The trade statistics are also clear. South Africa exported $12.4 billion worth of goods to the United States in 2024, $21.72 billion to the European Union, and $178.09 million to Israel. These exports produced jobs and livelihoods for hard-working South Africans, while also providing duties to enrich the public fiscus. Keep in mind that this is all the while the ANC and South African government has maintained a deteriorating relationship with these trade partners.
By comparison, we exported $12.4 billion to China, while running a hefty trade deficit by absorbing imports that have arguably led to the destruction of many local industries. Russia is even more torrid, receiving only $299.27 million of our exports. Trade with Iran is less than with Israel, despite the ANC’s cozy relationship, sitting at a measly $19.6 million in exports.
South Africa’s market realities clearly align with the West – especially if one considers the damage that Chinese imports have done to the local economy.
South Africa does not need to be a vassal of any power bloc. But nor can it afford a foreign policy driven by liberation nostalgia, ideological grievance, or the private interests of a governing party. The evidence is clear: South Africans do not share the ANC’s reflexive hostility toward the West, nor its indulgence of authoritarian regimes that offer little moral credibility and even less economic benefit.
The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom remain South Africa’s most important trade partners, investors, and sources of jobs and market access. These relationships sustain livelihoods, generate tax revenue, and offer pathways to growth that Russia, Iran, and North Korea simply do not. Even China’s role, while economically significant, comes with costs that demand caution rather than political deference.
A democratic government has an obligation to reflect the will and interests of its people. On foreign policy, the ANC has failed that test. By antagonising key partners, providing diplomatic cover to oppressive regimes, and prioritising ideological alignment over national interest, it has placed South Africa on an unnecessary collision course with reality.
South Africa’s future lies neither in nostalgic Cold War posturing nor in moral relativism dressed up as “non-alignment.” It lies in a pragmatic, principled engagement with the world - one that reflects the values of its Constitution, the preferences of its citizens, and the economic realities of the 21st century. It is time for South Africa’s foreign policy to serve South Africans again, not the ghosts of past struggles or the patrons of present corruption.
Nicholas Woode-Smith the Managing Editor of the Rational Standard, an author and a geopolitical analyst. He is a senior associate of the Free Market Foundation and writes in his personal capacity.