JOHANNESBURG - South Africa must be cautious not to become a pawn in rising tensions between the US and the European Union.
That’s the warning from former South African ambassador and RiskRecon Director, Dr Kingsley Makhubela.
It comes as world leaders gather in Johannesburg for the first-ever G20 Summit on African soil.
The US will not take part in substantial negotiations, but will send a junior delegation to take over the Presidency.
The EU has meanwhile publicly thrown its weight behind South Africa.
Makhubela says this could have long-term consequences for Pretoria’s foreign relations.
“It takes place amid fear and contestation around China and the tension between Washington and the country," he said.
"This old policy by Washington, the idea that you are either with us or with them is at the back of everyone at this conference.”
He says this mindset also fuelled tensions between Pretoria and Washington.
“There are documents outlining how the US intends to engage with Southern Africa. My understanding is that the current administration is pursuing the same thing.
“In that document, there are three American concerns: South Africa’s relationship with Russia, its ties with China, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These sit at the heart of the tensions we are seeing.”
Makhubela cautioned that frustrations within government must not spill over into undiplomatic language.
“In the recent past, South African officials have started to lose patience and their diplomatic language when describing the United States. That is a dangerous space for South Africa to play in,” he warned.
He added that extensive consultations have been conducted between South Africa and the rest of the continent to shape the leaders’ statement.
Those final adjustments, he said, aim to ensure the declaration reflects African interests.
“I hope issues of conflict ahead of this will be contained in what will form the basis of negotiations with other regional groups,” he said.