South African Government Does Not Need ANC Permission on International Agreements, Says FM

The South African government does not have to seek permission from the new African National Congress (ANC) leadership before entering into international agreements, Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Sunday night.

Briefing the media in Cape Town after a three-nation ministerial meeting comprising South Africa, Brazil and India (IBSA) held in Cape Town, Dlamini-Zuma said there was no need to seek permission as the government was pursuing the same policies agreed to by the ANC policy conference in Polokwane.

“There is no need since there is no diversion from what was agreed on at the ANC policy conference and what the government is doing,” she said.

As to whether the fact that the current ANC leadership had questioned the South African government’s approach, particularly its quiet diplomacy towards the Zimbabwean government, Dlamini-Zuma still insisted that there was no contradiction between the two entities.

ANC president Jacob Zuma has on a few occasions criticized the Zimbabwean government’s attitude and approach - contradicting South African president Thabo Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy. “Quiet diplomacy does not mean if you see something wrong, you should keep quiet,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

She said the IBSA meeting had amongst other things touched on multilateral issues including global governance, the Millennium Development Goals and regional political issues of importance.

Launched in 2003, IBSA is a forum through which the three countries pursue close trade, political and economic ties.

Source African Press Agency

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