By Amy Musgrave
A meeting between Freedom Front Plus leader and Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald and the World Uyghur Congress, which has been designated as terrorist group by China, has raised the ire of the SA Communist Party.
It is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against Groenewald, warning that he is interfering with international relations.
Groenewald met Turgujan Alawdu, who is the new president of the congress, which is known in many parts of the world as a separatist group backed by foreign interests seeking to undermine China’s unity, stability and territorial integrity.
South Africa recognises the One-China policy, with Ramaphosa reaffirming it while on a state visit to China in September.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said the party unequivocally denounced any activities by any leader of the government that “amount to interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations”.
“Such dangerous behaviour aligns with the agenda of the imperialist forces seeking to weaken global solidarity among progressive nations,” he said in a statement.
According to a post on social media platform X, Alawdu met Groenewald in his Parliamentary offices on 15 November. He also met Social Development Deputy Minister Ganief Hendricks, who is the leader of the Al Jama-Ah political party.
“The Freedom Front Plus led by Dr Groenewald expressed support for the separatist elements, said the separatists in their X post on Friday, 15 November 2024, when publicising the meeting they held with him.
“By meeting with such divisive groups and on this score being cited as South Africa’s Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Groenewald’s conduct seriously undermines South Africa’s international relations and co-operation policy, particularly the government’s recognition of the One-China policy,” Mashilo said.
The SACP has called on Ramaphosa to take urgent action to address Groenewald and assert South Africa’s non-interference international relations and cooperation framework with China.
Mashilo said South Africa and the world at large must be reminded of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in October 1971. It affirmed the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China and the entire Chinese nation. It expelled the reactionary Kuomintang from the multilateral body.
The SACP reaffirmed that South Africa must resolutely uphold this position and resist any efforts to undermine it.
Since the establishment of the Government of National Unity, disagreements between parties on South Africa’s foreign policy continues to make headlines.
Earlier this month, Democratic Alliance federal chair Helen Zille and the African National Congress got into a public spat after she reportedly accused the ANC of being obsessed with the international relations portfolio during negotiations in the lead up to establishment of the GNU.
She claimed that the ANC wanted to control the portfolio to maintain its links with “rogue regimes”.
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