The US announced yesterday that it has suspended military aid to South Africa because the country will not give Americans immunity from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The announcement by the American state department in Washington comes exactly a week before President George Bush's state visit to South Africa.

South Africa is one of 35 countries blacklisted by US yesterday.

It is the only one of the five countries on the itinerary for Bush's African tour to be blacklisted.

Botswana, Uganda, Senegal and Nigeria all retained military funding by signing immunity deals with the US.

The aid to the 35 countries suspended by the US amounts to about $47-million out of an annual foreign military aid budget of $4-billion, according to the French news agency AFP.

The US fears the court could become a forum for politically motivated prosecutions of Americans, and has been working hard to sign immunity deals.

Approached for comment, South African foreign ministry spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said the government was still studying the announcement.

"We will comment later... we are currently studying the implications of that decision," Mamoepa said.

Bush, accompanied by his Secretary of State Colin Powell, is due to arrive in South African on July 8 for a two-day visit.

He is due to be given an official welcome by President Thabo Mbeki on July 9 at the Union Buildings ahead of talks with his South African counterpart. – Sapa.