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The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Jacob Zuma Morocco visit
In a press statement published on the 6 th of August 2025, DIRCO has registered 'its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader, former South African President Mr Jacob Zuma, who is the Leader of the Umkhonto We Sizwe Party, to Morocco on the 15 th of July 2025'. Whilst recognising and respecting the sovereign right of Morocco to invite individuals and groups, DIRCO stated that 'it strongly protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag, in the meeting between Mr Jacob Zuma and the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco'. This statement, which has been published three weeks after the visit, uses the excuse of the flag previously mentioned in the ANC press release concerning the visit of the previous Head of State to criticise the presence of the latter in Morocco. Indeed, the hypersensitivity of DIRCO and its unusual and exaggerated reaction raise several questions about the priorities of Foreign Policy in our country, especially during these tough times. Amidst the recent punitive Trump Tariffs, the focus should be to mend the trade relationship to assert the economic diplomacy plan that was adopted by DIRCO, DTIC and the Ministry of Finance. Nonetheless, DIRCO took time among these huge trade problems with the USA that threaten our national interest to publish a press release concerning the visit of the former Head of State. This is not the first trip undertaken by Jacob Zuma as the former head of state outside of South Africa. It is indeed worth mentioning that M. Zuma has been invited this year to the inauguration ceremonies of both newly elected Ghana and Gabon presidents in his capacity as an ex-President of South Africa. During those two trips, M. Zuma received a warm welcome from the authorities of those two African countries without sparking any reaction from DIRCO. During his trip to Morocco, M. Jacob Zuma, who voiced his party's support for the autonomy proposal over the Sahara, has been very clear in his address, stating that it was his party's view and not of the State, thus closing the debate about any confusion regarding the South African Government's position concerning the conflict. This position expressed by MK was not a surprise at all. The South African Party published, nearly two months ago, a detailed document named 'A strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation and Territorial Integrity: Morocco', in which it detailed its stance concerning Morocco and the Western Sahara conflict In this document, Umkhonto WeSizwe stated that: ' Commitment to sovereignty: Morocco's efforts to reclaim its full territorial integrity align with the MK Party's commitment to preserving the sovereignty and unity of African states. This resonates more than ever with South Africa as our country battles against internal forces aiming at breaking our country's territorial integrity. Thus, MK party remains steadfast in defending the territorial integrity of South Africa as a sacrosanct principle of its foreign policy'. This statement of MK brought to light the inexistence of a consensus concerning the issue of Western Sahara among the political sphere in South Africa. It is also worth recalling that when the ANC reacted to the position expressed by MK concerning Western Sahara citing 'the right of Self-determination of Western Sahara', the separatist movement 'cape independence' published, on the 20 th July 2025, a tweet saying:' Hypocrisy Alert! ANC pushes for Western Sahara independence while denying Western Cape & other SA groups the same right to self-determination. What's good for one isn't good for all?'. Coming back to the issue of the flag, well-informed cadres among the MK party said that 'The South African flag displayed during Mr. Zuma's visit was done at his express request, as a gesture of honour and respect for his position as a previous Head of State'. Moreover, it is universal practice for national flags to be present in nongovernmental contexts and engagements: sporting competitions, cultural events, civil forums, etc, added the cadres of MK. Thus, the DIRCO statement raises the issue of the use of the national flag by South African citizens, organisations and political parties in General. Expressing concerns over this issue, the spokesperson of MK, M. Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said that 'Mbalula, on his visit in 2023 in Algeria, had a national flag of South Africa in a picture taken with him and the foreign minister of Algeria and DIRCO said nothing. Why now? The ANC and its GNU do not own the South African flag; it belongs to South Africans, and President Zuma is a South African, and a former head of state'. On the details of Zuma's trip to Morocco, IOL was able to confirm that the visit was prepared with the involvement of the South African Embassy in Rabat, which officially asked the Moroccan authorities to grant Mr. Zuma protocol treatment. Under these conditions, some experts contacted by IOL declared that it is 'totally contradictory for the South African authorities to request that Mr. Zuma be treated as a high dignitary, only to criticise the use of the South African flag during his visit'. It is worth noting that all the previous Heads of state in South Africa, when they undertake a trip abroad, are asked to communicate all the details of their trip to the State protocol, who then inform DIRCO to take all the measures to coordinate with the relevant authorities of the country all the aspects of the visit including the protocol. The aspects raised above are just a reflection of the existing deep disagreement of different South African political parties with the ANC's foreign policy, which has sparked a big debate about the national foreign policy of South Africa and the actual existence of a consensus around its priorities. Indeed, the DA, which is a partner of the ANC in the GNU, has undertaken, in March 2025, a trip to the USA, which was officially communicated by the previous DA Spokesperson on International Relations & Cooperation, Mrs Emma Powell, in total contradiction with the official position expressed by the South African Government and DIRCO. It is expected that the MK will not stay silent about this press release from DIRCO. The party will use the platform of the press briefing related to the outcomes of the latest meeting of the national officials of the party, scheduled on Friday, 8 th of August 2025, to address all the issues raised on the press release of DIRCO.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Jacob Zuma Morocco visit
Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs meeting the ANC SG Fikile Mbalula, while the flag is displayed Image: Supplied In a press statement published on the 6th of August 2025, DIRCO has registered 'its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader, former South African President Mr Jacob Zuma, who is the Leader of the Umkhonto We Sizwe Party, to Morocco on the 15th of July 2025'. Whilst recognising and respecting the sovereign right of Morocco to invite individuals and groups, DIRCO stated that 'it strongly protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag, in the meeting between Mr Jacob Zuma and the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco'. This statement, which has been published three weeks after the visit, uses the excuse of the flag previously mentioned in the ANC press release concerning the visit of the previous Head of State to criticise the presence of the latter in Morocco. Indeed, the hypersensitivity of DIRCO and its unusual and exaggerated reaction raise several questions about the priorities of Foreign Policy in our country, especially during these tough times. Amidst the recent punitive Trump Tariffs, the focus should be to mend the trade relationship to assert the economic diplomacy plan that was adopted by DIRCO, DTIC and the Ministry of Finance. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Nonetheless, DIRCO took time among these huge trade problems with the USA that threaten our national interest to publish a press release concerning the visit of the former Head of State. This is not the first trip undertaken by Jacob Zuma as the former head of state outside of South Africa. It is indeed worth mentioning that M. Zuma has been invited this year to the inauguration ceremonies of both newly elected Ghana and Gabon presidents in his capacity as an ex-President of South Africa. During those two trips, M. Zuma received a warm welcome from the authorities of those two African countries without sparking any reaction from DIRCO. During his trip to Morocco, M. Jacob Zuma, who voiced his party's support for the autonomy proposal over the Sahara, has been very clear in his address, stating that it was his party's view and not of the State, thus closing the debate about any confusion regarding the South African Government's position concerning the conflict. This position expressed by MK was not a surprise at all. The South African Party published, nearly two months ago, a detailed document named 'A strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation and Territorial Integrity: Morocco', in which it detailed its stance concerning Morocco and the Western Sahara conflict In this document, Umkhonto WeSizwe stated that: 'Commitment to sovereignty: Morocco's efforts to reclaim its full territorial integrity align with the MK Party's commitment to preserving the sovereignty and unity of African states. This resonates more than ever with South Africa as our country battles against internal forces aiming at breaking our country's territorial integrity. Thus, MK party remains steadfast in defending the territorial integrity of South Africa as a sacrosanct principle of its foreign policy'. This statement of MK brought to light the inexistence of a consensus concerning the issue of Western Sahara among the political sphere in South Africa. It is also worth recalling that when the ANC reacted to the position expressed by MK concerning Western Sahara citing 'the right of Self-determination of Western Sahara', the separatist movement 'cape independence' published, on the 20th July 2025, a tweet saying:' Hypocrisy Alert! ANC pushes for Western Sahara independence while denying Western Cape & other SA groups the same right to self-determination. What's good for one isn't good for all?'. Coming back to the issue of the flag, well-informed cadres among the MK party said that 'The South African flag displayed during Mr. Zuma's visit was done at his express request, as a gesture of honour and respect for his position as a previous Head of State'. Moreover, it is universal practice for national flags to be present in nongovernmental contexts and engagements: sporting competitions, cultural events, civil forums, etc, added the cadres of MK. Thus, the DIRCO statement raises the issue of the use of the national flag by South African citizens, organisations and political parties in General. Expressing concerns over this issue, the spokesperson of MK, M. Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said that 'Mbalula, on his visit in 2023 in Algeria, had a national flag of South Africa in a picture taken with him and the foreign minister of Algeria and DIRCO said nothing. Why now? The ANC and its GNU do not own the South African flag; it belongs to South Africans, and President Zuma is a South African, and a former head of state'. On the details of Zuma's trip to Morocco, IOL was able to confirm that the visit was prepared with the involvement of the South African Embassy in Rabat, which officially asked the Moroccan authorities to grant Mr. Zuma protocol treatment. Under these conditions, some experts contacted by IOL declared that it is 'totally contradictory for the South African authorities to request that Mr. Zuma be treated as a high dignitary, only to criticise the use of the South African flag during his visit'. It is worth noting that all the previous Heads of state in South Africa, when they undertake a trip abroad, are asked to communicate all the details of their trip to the State protocol, who then inform DIRCO to take all the measures to coordinate with the relevant authorities of the country all the aspects of the visit including the protocol. The aspects raised above are just a reflection of the existing deep disagreement of different South African political parties with the ANC's foreign policy, which has sparked a big debate about the national foreign policy of South Africa and the actual existence of a consensus around its priorities. Indeed, the DA, which is a partner of the ANC in the GNU, has undertaken, in March 2025, a trip to the USA, which was officially communicated by the previous DA Spokesperson on International Relations & Cooperation, Mrs Emma Powell, in total contradiction with the official position expressed by the South African Government and DIRCO.
Ya Biladi
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Jacob Zuma defends use of South African flag during Morocco visit
Jacob Zuma has responded to the August 6 statement by South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which condemned the presence of the «national flag» during the July 15 meeting in Rabat between the head of the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Speaking to the press on Friday, Zuma asserted that the South African flag belongs to all citizens of the country. «The South African flag doesn't belong to the government. Is there anyone who doesn't know that the flag of any country belongs to the citizens of that country? Is there anyone who doesn't know that?» he said, in remarks directed at Pretoria's diplomacy, led by Minister Ronald Lamola, a member of the ANC. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated on Wednesday that " Government of the Republic of South Africa, it «protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag», during the meeting between Bourita and Zuma. The protest echoed an injunction issued a few weeks earlier by the ANC leadership. The ANC described the presence of the flag in Rabat as «an irresponsible and provocative act» and «a blatant violation of international diplomatic norms» as well as «an unacceptable intrusion into South Africa's internal political affairs». The party called it «a dangerous attempt to delegitimize our constitutional order and discredit the authority of a democratically elected government». This dual indignation from the ANC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised eyebrows, given that the South African flag was displayed alongside the Algerian flag during a December 2023 meeting in Algiers between the ANC Secretary-General and Salah Goudjil, then-president of Algeria's upper chamber. The same was true during talks between Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Attaf and the ANC Secretary-General, without any public condemnation from the ANC or President Ramaphosa's government.
Ya Biladi
4 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
South Africa's Foreign Ministry rebukes Zuma and Morocco over flag use during Sahara meeting
Former South African President Jacob Zuma is once again under scrutiny following his July visit to Morocco in his capacity as leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. After criticism from political parties, including South Africa's ruling ANC, Zuma is now being rebuked by the country's Foreign Ministry. In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 6, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)—South Africa's ministry in charge of foreign affairs—said it «has registered its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader», referring to Zuma. DIRCO specifically referenced the meeting held in Rabat on July 15 with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, stating that on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, it «protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag», during the meeting between Bourita and Zuma. During that same meeting, Zuma expressed support for Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan for the Sahara. The statement further clarified that «Whilst recognising we respect the sovereign right of Morocco to invite individuals and groups», DIRCO informed Morocco that «the display of national symbols inherently conveys official state endorsement and elevates the perception of the encounter to that of a state-to-state engagement». «This characterisation is inconsistent with established diplomatic protocol, as the participants did not represent the official positions or engagements of the South African state», it added. Without referring to the Sahara conflict or the autonomy plan, the department emphasized that «this portrayal cannot be recognized as an official bilateral meeting, and the implications drawn from it are firmly rejected». DIRCO also called the use of its national symbols in settings that imply official state endorsement of non-governmental engagements «inappropriate, irrespective of setting», and urged Morocco to «refrain from such actions». This reaction follows demands from the ANC for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a formal diplomatic protest to Morocco and request immediate clarification and an official apology for the use of the South African flag during the meeting with Zuma. Led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC has strongly denounced Zuma's support for Morocco's autonomy plan. Other political leaders, including the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), also condemned Zuma's stance, calling him a «sellout». The Polisario Front, for its part, reacted through its former «ambassador» to South Africa, Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, who said the group would not publicly criticize the former president unless they met and heard from him directly, citing his old age and long-standing support. It is worth noting that in Rabat, Zuma described Morocco's autonomy plan as «a meaningful framework for local governance that also upholds Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara». The visit came just weeks after the MK party, founded in December 2023 and now the third-largest political force in South Africa's National Assembly, officially recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara.
Morocco World
6 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
South Africa Objects to Former President Zuma's Morocco Visit Over Flag Display
Rabat — South Africa's government expressed today strong objections to former President Jacob Zuma's recent visit to Morocco. The government mainly criticized the use of national symbols during Zuma's meeting with Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued a statement condemning the circumstances surrounding Zuma's mid-July visit to Rabat. The DIRCO 'has registered its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader, former South African President Mr Jacob Zuma, who is Leader of Umkhonto We Sizwe Party, visited the Kingdom of Morocco and held a meeting in Rabat on 15 July 2025, with His Excellency Mr Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates,' the ministry's statement said. Flag display sparks protest While acknowledging Morocco's sovereign right to invite and host individuals or groups, South Africa's government strongly protested the display of the South African flag during Zuma's meeting with Morocco's foreign minister. 'The use of the South African National Flag in a meeting with a member of a political party in opposition, which is a non-state actor, constitutes an abuse of existing protocol and decorum, and undermines official bilateral relations between the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Morocco,' the statement read. DIRCO expressed outrage over the fact that Rabat displayed South African national symbols, which they claimed naturally imply official state approval and elevate public perception of the event to the level of state-to-state engagement. However, according to the statement, the participants did not represent official South African positions or state commitments, making such characterization contrary to established diplomatic practices. 'This portrayal cannot be recognised as an official bilateral meeting, and the implications drawn from it are firmly rejected,' the ministry noted, urging Morocco's government to avoid such actions in the future. What's truly behind this outrage? South Africa's government's discontent with the visit is most probably linked to Zuma's newly found position over Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara and his endorsement of the country's Autonomy Plan. Following his July 15 meeting with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat, Zuma announced that his MK party supports Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. The former president said his party believes the Moroccan proposal 'will allow meaningful local governance by the populations of the Sahara region, while guaranteeing Morocco its sovereignty over the Sahara.' Zuma added that his party 'recognizes the historical and legal context that strengthens Morocco's claim to the Sahara' and believes Morocco's efforts to recover its full territorial integrity align with the MK party's commitment to preserving African states' sovereignty and unity. Describing the autonomy plan as offering 'a balanced path that promotes stability, peace, and development in the region,' Zuma called on the international community to support Morocco's offer as the most viable path to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity for the Sahara. Tags: Jacob ZumaMoroccoSouth AfricaWestern sahara
