A sharp split over South Africa’s diplomatic loyalties erupted inside a top meeting of the governing party this week, as ANC leaders wrestled with whether to publicly condemn the US over attack in Venezuela.
The ANC’s senior leadership debated the risks associated with a strategic relationship and the implications of forsaking historical principles, revealing underlying tensions within the upper echelons regarding foreign policy.
The debate consumed part of an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Monday, held to prepare for the party’s January 8 anniversary celebrations in Moruleng, North West. What began as an organisational gathering turned into a contentious deliberation on whether the ANC should formally respond to reports of US actions targeting Venezuelan leadership.
According to sources in the room, the coordinator of the NEC’s economic transformation subcommittee, Zuko Godlimpi, urged caution, arguing the party must fully assess the situation to avoid complicating South Africa’s diplomatic posture.
His position found strong support from others, including senior figure David Makhura, which stressed the imperative of weighing national interests and the critical relationship with Washington.
“There was a strong view among some members that South Africa needed to tread carefully,” a source present said.
They warned against any action that could escalate tensions or limit future diplomatic engagement.
Arrayed against them was the majority of the committee. They countered that silence on an issue of international significance would betray the ANC’s legacy of international solidarity and respect for sovereignty. Remaining quiet, they argued, would be interpreted as indifference.
The division extended to timing. Some proposed deferring the matter to the ANC’s January 8 statement, which was delivered by party president Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday.
A source said this view was sponsored by health minister Aaron Motsoaledi, while his predecessor in the portfolio, Zweli Mkhize, concurred that “the party must think long and hard on the decision”.
With Ramaphosa absent, ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile used his closing remarks to steer the outcome, indicating the party’s position should be communicated sooner rather than later.
That guidance forced the issue. The following day, on Tuesday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula convened a media briefing to announce the party’s stance.
At the briefing, Mbalula outlined the ANC’s concerns about what it views as actions undermining sovereignty and international law. He called for multilateral solutions and reiterated the party’s support for progressive, anti-imperialist traditions.
The statement’s tone, NEC members had agreed, was to reflect principle while avoiding deliberately antagonistic language, a nod to the delicate state of US relations. A party source noted that the new US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, is due to officially assume his position this week, an indication that “disagreements exist, but also that engagement between the two countries continues”.
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