US Senator Jim Risch has tabled legislation in Congress aimed at shifting this year's Agoa forum from South Africa to another country because of Pretoria's perceived closeness to Russia. It's yet another sign that the US may pare back SA's Agoa and Pepfar benefits.

Powerful US Senator Jim Risch - South Africa's chief foe in Congress - has tabled legislation which says the US administration should shift this year's forum of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) from South Africa to another country.

Risch, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the member of Congress most critical of South Africa's warming relations with Russia, attached the proposed legislation on Agoa as an amendment to the gigantic bill to authorise the budget for the Defence Department for fiscal year 2024.

Another amendment to the defence bill tabled by Risch says the US Secretary of Defence in consultation with the Secretary of State and other relevant departments and agencies should submit to Congress a report assessing "the extent to which the foreign policy of the Republic of South Africa threatens United States national security interests..."

A well-informed analyst in Washington believes that both amendments will pass - because Risch is too powerful to be opposed. But he also believes the enactment of the amendments will probably come too late to shift the Agoa forum, which is due to take place in November this year.

Both amendments are nonetheless disturbing indications of the...