ANC worried that DA's international relations undermining government policy: Mantashe
The ANC is worried that the DA’s relationships with Taiwan and Israel are undermining government policy‚ ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.
Mantashe’s comments follow a visit by a DA delegation to Taiwan and another visit‚ to Israel‚ by DA leader Mmusi Maimane. Mantashe said the DA was consolidating relationships with parties hostile to the SA and the ANC.
“The DA is paying inherent attention to undermining the ANC ... and the sovereignty of the country‚” he told a roundtable discussion with editors on Tuesday.
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Mantashe said the DA had close ties with the DPP in Taiwan and Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga’s visit to the country was preceded by a visit by a delegation from the DA.
He said the DPP‚ which was described as a secessionist party‚ found it “attractive” to work with the DA to undermine the one-China policy followed by the South African government‚ among many others.
“We are more concerned about that relationship and what influence ... it [will] have in our politics‚” Mantashe said.
Speaking on the upcoming change of government in the US‚ with three days to go to Donald Trump’s inauguration of Friday‚ Mantashe said the ANC expected a more “insular” approach to global politics by the US under its new leadership.
He said Trump’s hostile approach towards China‚ with which the ANC has party-to-party ties‚ was not unique to that country.
“It is not just a South issue‚ China poses a threat to US domination through it fast becoming the biggest economy in the world ... the US [under Trump) is uncomfortable with that.”
Deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte‚ who was also at the roundtable‚ said Trump would be more “insular” in economic policy and in his world view in general‚ while his perceived cordial relations with Russia appeared intended to further divide Russia from the European Union.
“We as SA are not likely to see the kind of engagement we have had with the US in the last 10 years [under a Trump presidency]‚” she said.
TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE