President Cyril Ramaphosa has doubled down on his condemnation of the Donald Trump administration over what he described as the invasion of Venezuela and the capture of its democratically elected leader, Nicolás Maduro, who was reportedly airlifted to the United States over the weekend.
Ramaphosa was addressing South African Communist Party (SACP) supporters during the 31st annual Joe Slovo commemoration at Heroes’ Acre in Avalon Cemetery, Soweto, on Tuesday.
He spoke from a small SACP-branded tent, with a Venezuelan flag displayed behind the podium as a symbol of solidarity. A delegation from Venezuela was among the guests in attendance.
International law and the UN Charter
“It is our commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter that informs our deep concern [over] action by the United States in Venezuela, which has undermined the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a UN member state called Venezuela,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
“We reject utterly the actions that the United States has embarked upon. And we stand with the people of Venezuela. We demand the release of president Maduro and his wife as well.”
Ramaphosa said the ANC was also calling for Maduro’s release. Such a stance was rooted in principles shared by the late struggle icon Joe Slovo during the struggle against apartheid.
Tribute to Joe Slovo
“It is important that we reflect on the life and the legacy of Joe Slovo. From his thinking, from his actions and from his revolutionary character. There is a rich store of lessons, from which we should draw as we build a united, just and free society,” he said.
He described Slovo as a “strategist” with “intellectual rigour” whose leadership continued to inspire generations. He noted that Slovo understood how to read a changing political environment and respond to the demands of each moment.
“To meet the challenges of the present, we need to revive the culture of political thought and debate within the liberation movement,” Ramaphosa said.
“There is a temptation, now that we live in a constitutional democracy, to consider ideological debate and political analysis to be of little importance.”
Ramaphosa’s anti-US remarks were well received, despite a tense start to the event. When he first took to the podium to speak on behalf of the ANC as leader of the tripartite alliance, rival songs broke out among attendees, repeatedly disrupting proceedings. The singing continued until calm was eventually restored.
Constitution’s 30th anniversary
He opened his address by praising Slovo for his role in the fight for a democratic South Africa. And included his contribution to the process that led to the adoption of the country’s democratic Constitution in 1996.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption. It also marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Umkhonto weSizwe.
“Comrade Joe Slovo played a central role in these pivotal moments in the history of our movement and our country,” he said. “These moments shaped our struggle and the society in which we live today.”
Values of the Freedom Charter
At times struggling to be heard over noisemakers, Ramaphosa pressed on with his message. He linked Slovo’s legacy to the values of the Freedom Charter.
“We must also dedicate ourselves to the struggles that Comrade Joe Slovo dedicated his life to. The fight against unemployment, poverty and inequality. Joe Slovo was the epitome of everything that our struggles are all about,” he said.
Ramaphosa said Slovo was an internationalist who fought not only for the liberation of South Africa and the African continent. He fought for oppressed people across the world.
He said this global outlook underpinned South Africa’s continued solidarity with the people of Palestine and other war-torn territories.
