ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said it is important for the country to normalise trade and diplomatic relations with the USA.
His comments come as President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to embark on a working visit to America on Wednesday, which Mbalula said the party has thrown its full support for the process undertaken by the government to mend relations with the US.
“The president is going on behalf of the government and the people of South Africa to straighten up relations with the US. It is important and we support that for the benefit of South Africa and in trading with the US. We’re looking forward to that, it’s important that relations must be normalised,” said Mbalula, who was addressing the media on the sidelines of the funeral service of former party Secretary General Duma Nokwe, in Johannesburg.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been at its lowest, as US President Donald Trump accuses the Pretoria of committing genocide against Afrikaners and expropriating, they’re land.
This also resulted in the expulsion of former South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, for making disparaging comments against the Trump’s administration.
Mbalula however said that Ramaphosa’s working visit is not a sign that the country would renege on some of the acts recently passed, like the Bela and Expropriation Act.
“Our political belief as the ANC, what we stand for as the party, is what we believe in, and therefore nobody can change it anywhere in the world.
But the country is bigger than the party, and that country is South Africa, whose sovereignty must be defended.
It is important that South Africa must normalise where there’s challenges in relations with other countries.
It’s not that we’re explaining ourselves, we cannot afford a standoff with America, which is unexplained,” explained Mbalula.
In addition, Mbalula dismissed as untrue reports of a genocide committed against white farmers in the country.
“The majority of South Africans black and white, across political line are behind the president that this thing that is being spread in the US that there’s genocide in the country are lies. We’re like any other nation that has its challenges and works everyday to overcome them,” remarked the Secretary General.
Ramaphosa is expected to meet with Trump on Wednesday in Washington D.C., USA.
According to the presidency, the two leaders will discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of interest, and that it’ll provide Ramaphosa a “platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries.”
