Exporters Must Protest To Afriforum If Us Removes Sa From Agoa: Pandor

Former International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor says civil society group AfriForum should be held accountable if the US removes South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act AGOA.

AGOA is a US law that allows duty-free access of qualifying products from 35 sub-Saharan African countries into the US market.

Relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated sharply following US President Donald Trumps recent executive order cutting aid to South Africa.

Furthermore, four Republican congressmen wrote to Trump on 11 February asking him to revoke South Africas AGOA membership , accusing it of undermining US interests globally.

Andrew Ogles, Tom Tiffany, Joe Wilson and Don Bacon cited South Africas legal actions against Israel at the International Court of Justice, its close ties to China, destructive land reform policies and unsubstantiated claims of human rights abuses.

"South Africa is simply not deserving of duty-free access to the American market. Pretoria's continued insistence on undermining America's security and foreign policy interests are similarly disqualifying under the eligibility requirements, they wrote.

The African National Congress ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe Party have accused AfriForum of conducting an international campaign against South Africas policies such as land expropriation, which was partly the basis for Trumps executive order.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday 19 February, Pandor also argued that the group must face accountability.

Those South Africans whose exports will no longer be going to the US if the threat holds should be protesting outside the offices of AfriForum and putting all the fruit and other goods that would be wasted at the door of AfriForum, the ex-Minister said.

They should demand payment at the same level they would have received had they been able to export to the US. So, I think AfriForum must be held to account. Let them now solve this problem that they have caused or be made accountable for it.