Minister Ronald Lamola said they achieved 100% of their targets despite U.S. sanctions, foreign aid cuts, and losing AGOA status

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said that they had achieved 100% of the targets of their strategic and performance plans.

He shared this information in response to a Parliamentary question from National Assembly member Wesley Douglas.

Douglas asked Lamola what strategic objectives and quantified outcomes were achieved against planned targets in each of the past two financial years.

The Minister responded, saying that the Department of International Relations achieved 100% of the targets of its 2025 strategic plans and annual performance plans.

He explained that departments must table a 5-year strategic plan with an impact statement accompanied by outcomes, outcome indicators, and 5-year targets.

“The 5-year strategic plan is implemented through the annual tabling of the Annual Performance Plans over the period,” he explained.

He said that his department achieved 100% of the outcomes of its 2020 to 2025 strategic plan, and also 100% of its 2025 annual performance plan.

He added that they have achieved 78% of the targets of its 2025 to 2030 strategic plan, and 94% of its 2026 annual performance plan.

The targets include advancing South Africa’s national interests and values in all international engagements.

It should also strengthen economic diplomacy by promoting tourism, trade, and investment opportunities to support the one-government investment approach.

It must further leverage bilateral, political, economic and social relations to achieve the objectives of the NDP and the MTDP priorities.

The NDP priorities include economic growth, creating jobs, and encouraging foreign investment in South Africa.

Another target is to increase foreign direct investment and contribute to economic growth in South Africa, which aligns with the NDP priorities.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation scores 100%, while South Africa suffers

What is curious about the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s high success rate is that it came amid serious international problems.

The trouble started in February 2025, when U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all U.S. foreign aid and assistance to South Africa.

Alongside the aid freeze, the White House established a refugee resettlement track prioritising Afrikaners and other minority groups.

In March 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South African Ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata.

Rubio expelled him from the country following remarks Rasool made about President Donald Trump and those associated with him.

The U.S. also boycotted South Africa’s G20 presidency throughout 2025, culminating in a snub of the historic Johannesburg leaders’ summit.

During its 2026 G20 presidency, the United States excluded Pretoria from participating in G20 meetings, further deepening the diplomatic rift.

In September 2026, the United States announced visa bans and targeted sanctions against specific South African government officials and political leaders.

The politicians affected by the visa restrictions are those who promote race-based policies and support land expropriation without compensation.

In November 2026, the U.S. government announced the termination of South Africa’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

This will end duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible South African exports starting in January 2027.

The United States is South Africa’s most valuable trading partner, and many experts view the strained relationship as one of the government’s biggest failings.

South Africa is losing billions due to its poor relations with the U.S., and many stakeholders have urged Lamola to fix it.

However, instead of trying to mend relations with the United States, Lamola attacked the country and the Trump administration.

South African Ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has also been ineffective at improving relations between the two countries.

Considering the impact of the deteriorating relationship with the United States, it is perplexing how Lamola can say they achieved most of their targets.

This shows that the targets do not translate into benefits for South Africa, such as foreign investment, economic growth, and job creation.