The Dark Side of America’s “Friendship” with South Africa

Precipitating chaos and misery for the African people

The hidden agenda behind the humanitarian aid programs and interventions carried out by the United States in troubled parts of the world has been insightfully exposed by Dr Paul Craig Roberts:

”Most Americans believe that their government is the best on earth, that it is morally motivated to help others and to do good, that it rushes aid to countries where there is famine and natural catastrophes……The persistence of these delusions is extraordinary in the face of daily headlines that report US government bullying of, and interference with, virtually every country on earth.” [1]

One of the most significant examples of this buying off and overthrowing, is the relentless interference of the governments of the US and Great Britain in the Republic of South Africa to recover control over the vast reserves of the world’s strategic minerals in that country. [2]

Rick Rozoff explains: “An April 2009 report to Congress by the National Defence Stockpile Center made clear that ensuring access to mineral markets around the world is of vital interest to national security.” [3]

British and American imperialism has been around for centuries but the recent re-colonization of South Africa is a classic case and still one of the best kept secrets, generally unrecognized by the world’s journalists and political analysts because it requires an extraordinary amount of investigation and perceptive analysis to identify and track the shadowy characters, financiers and their agents and “bought” political players in South Africa. Some of them feature in Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert’s book “The Other Side of History.” [4] The secret motive behind Anglo-American sponsorship of Nelson Mandela and his ANC party’s dramatic rise to power in South Africa was the expected payback in terms of bolstering US hegemony over strategic minerals on a global scale. [5]

Like India, Brazil, Great Britain and others, the social and economic inequalities of the class system in South Africa were very real. But in South Africa these were made more obvious by the way it was racially delineated. That made South Africa an easy target for criticism and bullying. While other more oppressive police states were ignored by the international community, corporate interests in the US and Great Britain mobilized sanctions against South Africa, supported terrorist action and whipped up internal strike actions, riots and economic chaos, driving the country to its knees. [5]

The new puppet ANC government ushered into power from 1991 to 1994 has been far more cooperative with the US and Great Britain than the previous white government but far more devastating than the old government in its mismanagement of justice, law and order and the social and economic problems in the country. [6] [7] As R. W. Johnson has documented, the only things propping up the chaotic rule of the incompetent and corrupt ANC government are the vast amounts of foreign aid that has been pouring into South Africa and the lucrative income it receives in taxation of diamond and precious metal sales. Nearly three quarters of the world’s known strategic mineral reserves are found in South Africa , [8] [9] [10] [11] And the mines are owned by?…..mainly Anglo-American corporations!

The United States is the largest bilateral donor to South Africa in terms of Development Assistance donating $98 million in 2003-03, $160 million in 2004 and $185 million in 2005. Since the ANC assumed power, the US has become the second largest source of foreign direct investment in South Africa after the United Kingdom. [12] [13] These two countries in particular had been systematically side-lined by the previous government; exactly the same way that Saddam Hussein had side-lined the British and US sponsors of his early political career and party. Many US companies in South Africa are now members of the American Chamber of Commerce.

No surprise – approximately 28 United States agencies manage cooperative programs in South Africa including the Department of Defence and precious metals and stones account for over 30% of total imports to the US from South Africa. (12) Hillary Clinton described as “extremely helpful” a recent meeting in Durban with South African president Jacob Zuma. The president said: “The two countries have always had good relations and we are taking that relationship higher.” [14] At what price?

Foreign interference in South Africa has produced token freedom and empowerment to indigenous black people previously exploited by the system of Apartheid, but precipitated a state of permanent chaos and dependence in the country with unemployment, illegal drugs and arms trade, poverty, disease, social misery and unrest now among the highest in the world. [6]

Nearly one million South Africans are estimated to have died as a result of political violence that evolved into a horrific crime culture since the start of foreign intervention in the 70’s and an equal number have left the country due to the intolerable conditions that resulted [6] – Thanks to United States and British aid and intervention. Without realizing it, Nelson Mandela had helped the United States achieve its unrivalled position in the world today. The extent to which his organization bowed to its international patrons can be seen from the fact that his was the only government ever to voluntarily dismantle a nuclear weapons program; something established [possibly with help from Israel] as a guarantee of self-preservation by the independent-minded government of the Afrikaner legacy. His ANC party has become the key hired agency in Africa that enables the USA to totally eclipse even Great Britain, the world’s previous superpower, and become the only unchallenged international bully today.

For the United States, the so-called “good relations” means that the US now achieves unfettered [but covert] control over the vast reserves of the world’s strategic minerals in Africa – a position absolutely essential to US global dominance. This piece of the puzzle is still missing from the archives of research centres and deserves special attention because it shows how clever, complex and well camouflaged the imperialist strategy has been.

Notes

1. The War on Terror, Paul Craig Roberts, October 16 2010 ,Global Research

2. South Africa : When Liberation Means Enslavement, Finnian Cunningham March 3, 2010 Global Research

3. New Colonialism, Rick Rozoff, May 5, 2010 , Global Research

4. The Other Side of History, F.Van Zyl Slabbert, [ 2006] Jonathan Ball Publisher

5. Hidden Agenda behind Nelson Mandela’s ANC rise to power, M. J. Molyneaux, 2010 www.uncensored.co.nz

6. Neo-liberalism in South Africa : Dead in the Water. Patrick Bond, October 6 2010 Global Research

7. South Africa ’s Brave New World; R. W. Johnson, Penguin Books 2009

8. National Economies Encyclopaedia, 2005

9. SOURCE: Lisa Corathers, the Manganese Commodity Specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey, 2005

10. Ferrochrome Facts 2007 Elsevier Engineering Information. Source: Financial Times Limited. 06/29/2007

11. Kermas South Africa (Pty) Ltd and Samancor Ltd (22/LM/Mar05) [2005] ZACT 41 ( 14 June 2005 )

12. Diplomatic Mission of the United States in South Africa [website August 6, 2007]

13 British Foreign & Commonwealth Office [website May 21 2007 ],

14. The Guardian, 9 August 2009 .


Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page

Become a Member of Global Research


Articles by: M. J. Molyneaux

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. The Centre of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post Global Research articles on community internet sites as long the source and copyright are acknowledged together with a hyperlink to the original Global Research article. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected]

www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.

For media inquiries: [email protected]