The Communist Party of South Africa (SACP), the main partner in the ruling coalition, accused Washington of espionage against Pretoria on Monday after the United States ambassador accused the country of supplying arms to Russia.
“We think so, how do you explain that an ambassador representing a foreign country in our country made such claims”South African communist spokesman Alex Mashilo said in an interview with South African television channel ENC.
“She [Estados Unidos] are certainly spying in South Africa and have used information obtained from these espionage activities to make these allegations. We do not accept this as SACP”he claimed.
The Communist Party of South Africa, the main partner in South Africa’s governing coalition since 1994, along with the African National Congress (ANC) and the trade union federation Cosatu, is the latest voice criticizing the US Ambassador to America’s statements (US) in Pretoria, Reuben Brigety.
“In fact, the United Nations has not sanctioned Russia, the sanctions against Russia come from the NATO-dominated United States, they are unilateral sanctions outside the legal framework of the United Nations”considered Alex Mashilo.
“South Africa is not a colony of the United States, we cannot be forced to follow the foreign policy of the United States, we are an independent republic, with our own policies and international relations”emphasized the South African communist leader.
Allegations of the alleged sale of weapons to the Russian Federation by the US ambassador, who was immediately summoned to the South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation for an explanation, sparked a diplomatic crisis with Pretoria, Washington’s former ally on the continent during the former ‘apartheid’ regime of racial segregation.
South African President Cyril Ramapahosa reiterated on Monday that his country maintains a “non-aligned” stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine, emphasizing that South Africa is trying to “contribute to creating conditions that sustainable resolution of the conflict”.
“The reality is that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the underlying tensions will not be solved by military means. It must be solved politically.”said Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly “newsletter” to the country. ‘South Africa does not take sides in dispute between world powers’insured.
“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favors Russia over other countries. We also do not accept that this jeopardizes our relations with other countries”noted the South African president.
Ramaphosa underlined that he also “reaffirmed” South Africa’s position on the military conflict in Ukraine last year in talks he held with President Joe Biden in Washington and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London.
“I reaffirmed our position of non-alignment and explained that South Africa believes that this conflict should be resolved through dialogue. In August, I will receive the leaders of Brazil, India, China and Russia for the BRICS Summit countries. South Africa has strong and lasting relationships with all of these countries”emphasized the South African leader.
Source: DN
