United States Foreign Policy Toward South Africa: From Constructive Engagement to the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986

Abstract

This research examines US President Ronald Reagan's policy toward the apartheid regime in South Africa, with a particular focus on the constructive rapprochement strategy adopted by his administration as an alternative to direct sanctions, claiming it would lead to gradual reform of the regime. By analyzing the historical context of US positions since 1948, the research reveals a fundamental contradiction between the official US rhetoric rejecting apartheid and the actual practices that continued to support the regime, directly or indirectly, whether through economic relations or geopolitical considerations during the Cold War. It also highlights the historical shift that occurred in 1986, when human rights coalitions and Congress were able to override Reagan's veto and pass the Comprehensive Sanctions Act against South Africa, marking a turning point in US policy toward the South African issue.

The policy of constructive rapprochement demonstrated the failure of political instrumentalism in addressing structural injustices, transforming it from a purported tool for reform into a cover for the continuation of the apartheid system. The power of unexpected alliances between liberals and conservatives in Congress, human rights activists, churches, and universities succeeded in breaking down the traditional barrier between politics and civil society.