FF Plus wants GNU partners to oppose ANC's foreign policy as a collective position

The Freedom Front (FF) Plus says it’s time for coalition partners within the Government of National Unity to take a stand against the African National Congress (ANC)'s foreign policy being passed off in national statements, as a collective position.

Party leader Corné Mulder said the responses issued by the Department of International Relations on geopolitical matters are risky and provocative and can have grave economic impacts for ordinary South Africans.

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Mulder said he's written to President Cyril Ramaphosa for an urgent meeting to discuss the policy differences.

Mulder said that he had placed on the agenda of a GNU leaders meeting last November the thorny issue of foreign policy, but there was no time to discuss the way forward.

He said a flaw of the statement of intent that was hastily crafted between the ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) in May 2024 is that it did not include all parties.

Mulder said the ANC can’t continue to dominate the government’s foreign policy position and all GNU parties should have a say.

“We will have to sit down and discuss what do we understand in terms of what does national interest mean. There’s no agreement, there was no discussion about that. So, at this stage, the ANC gives their interpretation of what’s in the national interest.”

Mulder said government’s position on the United States (US)’s invasion of Venezuela, the unrest in Iran and the controversial navy exercises in Simon’s Town involving Russia, China and Iran are positions that could come back to bite South Africa.

“I think some of the international role players that deal with South Africa are becoming aware of the fact that this is not necessarily a unified position of South Africa or the people of South Africa.”

He believes the country’s current responses to geopolitical matters could see it removed from preferential trade access to the US under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is currently awaiting approval from the US Senate.