PHUTI MOSOMANE
ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, has announced that the party intends to hold a meeting with the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, following his allegations last week that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia in December last year.
“We are going to meet with the US ambassador to understand him quite closely in terms of the issues that he has raised about the ANC,” Mbalula told the media on Monday following the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in KZN.
During a recent media briefing, Brigety, the United States Ambassador to South Africa, expressed his concern over what he described as the ANC’s perceived hostility towards the United States.
Brigety specifically raised questions about certain resolutions adopted by the ANC during the Nasrec conference held in December 2022.
Brigety said that officials from the US government find the ANC’s 55th resolution on international relations to be particularly concerning, especially in its portrayal of America.
“We regard the hostilities of the ANC towards the United States of America, our senior government officials noted with great concern the 55th National Congress report resolutions from the ANC’s conference in December. I think it is fair to say our government felt these remarks to be outrageous, false, incorrect.”
Mbalula emphasized that the ANC holds the belief that a diplomat representing a superpower such as the United States should have a clear understanding of the distinction between the party and the government.
“Where there has been a diplomatic fallout- we have had a detailed briefing from the envoy led by Dr. Sydney Mufumadi on government-to-government relations. We are delighted about that engagement and also addressed issues that the US has raised with our government,” said Mbalula.
He said the ANC has been taken aback by the comments of the US Ambassador.
“The USA Government needs to appreciate South Africa as a sovereign state. When America lies like they did about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, we must not allow them to escape.”
Mbalula applauded International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor for handling “that matter very well”.
“We are impressed by the steps taken to defend South Africa’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
SA Communist Party national spokesperson Alex Mashilo said Brigety was reckless, adding that his public utterances were not warranted and he breached diplomatic protocol.
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