By South Africa through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is amongst the first countries that raised their voices against America following their invasion in Venezuela; political parties then followed suit in either condemning or supporting the actions of the United States.
Worryingly, some of the parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU) are at a discord when it comes to foreign policy; their respective ideology is diametrically opposed to each other, and they are sending out conflicting messages to the world and the country itself.
The African National Congress (ANC), a member of the GNU, condemned what it called ‘the kidnapping’ of President Nicolás Maduro, his wife and son by the U.S. The party further threw its weight behind Venezuela accusing America for being in breach of international law and undermining the UN Charter. The ANC says the actions of the United States threaten global peace and stability at a time when the world requires cooperation, restraint and dialogue.
“The ANC expresses its solidarity with the people of Venezuela, who continue to endure sustained political, economic and diplomatic pressure. As a liberation movement forged in struggle against colonialism, apartheid and external domination, the ANC recognises that such aggression is seldom accidental. It is often driven by contests over strategic resources, control of markets, and resistance to the independent development paths chosen by sovereign nations of the Global South,” Fikile Mbalula, the Secretary General of the ANC.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also added their voice to the matter saying the actions of the U.S are the most blatant imperial aggression in the Western Hemisphere in decades. The EFF condemned in the strongest way the abduction of President Maduro and his family to appear in a domestic court in New York.
The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the actions of the United States against the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
“Let it be clear to the world that this is not a legal operation under international law, nor is it an act of self-defence. It is a naked exercise of unilateral military power that tramples on the sovereignty of a nation and sets a dangerous and destabilising precedence. If allowed to stand, it signals that any powerful state may invade, bomb, abduct and remove the leadership of sovereign countries without consent, oversight or legitimacy,” said Sinawo Thambo, the Spokesperson of the EFF.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) spoke in discord to the ANC and the EFF, accusing the ANC of being a hypocrite for calling out America on invading Venezuela while they failed to call out Russia on its invasion of Ukraine. The DA says the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) cannot now speak on Venezuela while it failed to call Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to order.
Ryan Smith, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the DA, says the ANC keeps on imposing its foreign policies by referring USA to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but failed to do the same with Russia.
“In the context of the situation in Venezuela, the ANC has again decided to pursue it’s entrenched party-political interests in our foreign policy by referring the USA to the UNSC when no such appeal for intervention was ever made when Russian President, Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine and was found guilty of human rights abuses for child trafficking.
DIRCO cannot cite international law or make reference to refraining from “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State”, or the fact that “military invasions against sovereign States yield only instability and deepen crisis” when it has shown diplomatic cowardice by turning a blind eye to the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty by the Russian Federation,” said Smith.
The Freedom Front Plus (FFP), also a member of the GNU, came out scathing saying the ANC cannot be the spokesperson for South Africa because not everyone shares their ideology when it comes to foreign policy. The Party further said it supports the actions of America as Maduro is an illegitimate president.
“The ANC cannot speak on behalf of South Africa regarding the events in Venezuela or its foreign policy. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has repeatedly pointed out that the ANC’s ideologically driven anti-Western policy does not reflect the sentiments of all South Africans.
The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the actions of the United States against the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. The free world is under a moral obligation to act against countries with autocratic governments where human rights are trampled and criminality cannot be separated from policy,” said Dr Corné Mulder, the Leader of FFP.
The country remains divided on the issue of Venezuela, while others advocate for left politics and are anti-west policies, others are for right politics and pro-west policies. Some natives have also taken to social media calling on Trump to do the same in South Africa as in Venezuela, while others are against such a call.
