DIRCO conveys disapproval to Moroccan govt for receiving MK Party's Zuma with SA national symbols
Zuma travelled to the country in July and extended his MK Party's support for Morocco's ongoing occupation of Western Sahara, which flies in the face of government's official position.
The department said on Wednesday that the manner in which Zuma was received appeared to give the impression that it was a state-endorsed visit.
The former president's visit to Morocco in July irked government and the African National Congress (ANC), which labelled him a sell-out for flip-flopping on South Africa's official position - that Western Sahara should be an independent state.
The department said that while it respected Morocco's right to invite and receive guests, it strongly protested against the use of South African national symbols for a meeting with an opposition party leader who is a non-state actor.
Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri: "This characterisation is inconsistent with established diplomatic protocol as the participants did not represent the official positions, or engagements of the South African state."
Phiri said that government's position had been conveyed to the Moroccan foreign affairs minister, Nasser Bourita, with whom Zuma also met.
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South Africa's struggle with US trade relations amidst looming tariffs
Analysts say the South African government is wasting time in engaging with US President Donald Trump. Image: AFP Political analysts say the South African government is wasting its time in engaging with US President Donald Trump on beneficial trade and investment relations between the two countries. With a 30% tariff expected to be imposed on South African goods by the US at midnight on Thursday, negotiations were still taking place between the two countries regarding the proposed tariffs. This was after South Africa failed to secure a trade deal with the US last week. President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that he had a discussion with Trump on Wednesday. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the two agreed to continue further engagements on bilateral trade matters. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone discussion during the morning of 6 August 2025, with US President Donald Trump on bilateral trade matters. 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Meanwhile, a senior government official within the DTIC said officials had sleepless nights with last minute discussions as they tried to avert the tariff hikes, but were keeping the news under wraps so that the talks would not be jeopardised. 'Yes, there has been huge pressure and last-minute talks to try to convince the US government to at least cut the tariffs to 15%, but that is a matter the department would have to confirm with you at a later stage if it succeeds. 'Our government has been working on it, but I can tell you now it does not look good because discussions have started late despite the president having indicated that they have made efforts to reach Trump,' the source said. Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast said the government is wasting its time as Trump is unlikely to listen or be sympathetic. 'The EU has just signed (an agreement on higher tariffs) and who are we to think we can win if they sign. 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Ntshavheni, who was addressing a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday, said Cabinet affirmed the government's commitment to finding solutions on the tariffs through negotiations. She also announced that the Cabinet set targeted measures to support the affected industries, including the creation of a support desk that will act as a direct liaison with companies affected by the new tariffs. Ntshavheni added that the desk will also assist with tariff absorption and long-term resilience planning.
