The ruling ANC is not open to any suggestions that US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety should be expelled because of his baseless accusations.
After last week’s turmoil in local markets, the ANC’s national working committee on Monday gave the green light to party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane to meet Brigety this week.
“This is in a bid to also strengthen partyto-party relations with the US Democratic Party,” Mbalula told Business Day. “We have not ventured into the expulsion of the ambassador.”
SA was criticised for refusing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, joint naval exercise with Russia in February and the docking of a Russian cargo vessel in Simon’s Town naval base in December.
Brigety accused SA of supplying ammunition to Russia when the Kremlinowned ship docked in Simon’s Town in December.
Brigety criticised ANC “hostility” after repeated failed attempts to meet party officials after the party’s 2022 conference resolutions blaming the Ukraine war on US foreign policy and expansion of Nato.
“In our view, a diplomat must understand, especially a superpower like the US, the separation between party approach and government.
“We had a briefing from the envoy with security adviser Sydney Mufamadi about our government engagement in the US and we were quite delighted with the engagement. We were taken aback by the comments of the ambassador, for which he apologised,” Mbalula told reporters on Monday.
“Our department of international relations led by Naledi Pandor has handled the matter very well. And we are quite impressed with the steps they have taken to defend SA’s integrity and sovereignty.”
On Monday, Ramaphosa emphasised SA’s nonaligned stance after his weekend phone calls with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Source: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2023-05-15-no-expulsion-of-us-ambassador-anc-says/
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