Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, has tabled the United States–South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act in the United States Senate that would force a sweeping reassessment of Washington’s ties with Pretoria amid accusations that South Africa has drifted toward America’s rivals and embraced antisemitic rhetoric after the 7 October attacks on Israel.

The bill has the same name as that previously introduced into the House of Representatives.

The bill directs the Secretary of State, the Pentagon, and other agencies to produce a detailed evaluation of whether South Africa’s conduct harms US security interests. Within that review, the American President must certify Pretoria’s alignment and submit a classified roll of South African officials and African National Congress (ANC) figures eligible for Global Magnitsky human rights sanctions. The measure would also terminate South Africa’s duty-free benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act unless the administration can justify continued preferences.

Kennedy argued that US foreign policy must “put American interests first.” He cited Pretoria’s decision to appoint Ebrahim Rasool, who once hosted senior Hamas leaders and called former President Donald Trump a white supremacist, as ambassador to Washington. South African officials, Kennedy added, have blamed Israel for the 7 October terror attack, praised anti-Israel militants, and threatened to arrest Israeli-South Africans serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

Beyond Middle East issues, the senator faulted South Africa for holding naval exercises with Russia and China, permitting a sanctioned Russian cargo ship to dock in 2022, and increasing reliance on Chinese state-linked companies under the Belt and Road Initiative. These actions, he said, illustrate a pattern of “coziness” with US adversaries that demands a hard look at bilateral ties.

The proposed legislation now moves to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where lawmakers will decide whether to advance a bill that could reshape trade and diplomatic engagement with one of Africa’s largest economies.