Former State President Jacob Zuma visited the Kingdom of Morocco on the 16 of July. The controversial statesman now the leader of the uMkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Party gave a speech in Rabat at the Foreign Ministry where he reaffirmed Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara. This contradicts his previous stance when he was at the helm of the country and the African National Congress (ANC). Zuma’s Moroccan visit and speech earned him the ire of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. They have accused the former President of being a sell-out. The MK party for its part defended Zuma’s position.
Mbalula said Zuma represents everything wrong, which is pursued by sell-outs. “We, as the ANC, will fight side by side for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people. We are in solidarity with them, and Morocco must stop the occupation of Western Sahara. Zuma is no messiah. He’s a sell-out of note. For whatever reason that he’s doing all of this, it’s no surprise to us. “The very decision to steal the assets of the ANC to form a political party and call it what it is, to divide our people, weaken the African National Congress for his aggrandisement, is what he has been. He will be remembered for that by history,” Mbalula said.
It has been reported that Morocco controls approximately 80% of Western Sahara and has pushed for its authority over the territory to be officially recognised.
The issue of the Western Sahara territory has long remained in a complex position. Morocco and its Alawi monarchy claim the region on their southern border as part of their historical heritage. The Polisario Front a liberation organization fighting for the territory’s independence from Rabat set up a government-in-exile in Algiers, capital of neighbouring Algeria. Algeria has long been an ally of the Polisario Front’s leadership which claims Western Sahara for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) – the name of the state it seeks to create. The African National Congress in South Africa is allied with Polisario as a fellow liberation organization and does not view Morocco’s occupation and claims to the sparsely populated territory as legitimate.
Morocco’s King Muhammad VI for his part won’t consent to anything short of regional autonomy for the territory. The North African monarchy regards it as their southern provinces. SADR is an official member state of the African Union although some member states withdrew their diplomatic recognition of the proposed country.
Mbalula’s statements came after Zuma recently visited Morocco on 16 July and expressed his support for the country’s continued annexation of Western Sahara. Morocco annexed the region in 1975 and has been in conflict with the Polisario Front, which represents the indigenous Saharawi people. Zuma was also accused of using the South African flag during his visit. In response, the MK Party said nothing is preventing Zuma from visiting other African countries. The party’s Treasurer-General, Thanti Mthanti, said that Zuma is a statesman and has been negotiating peace in the country. He credited Zuma for being instrumental in negotiating for the end of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal during the conflict between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party in 1993.
“All he’s doing in Morocco is a lifetime of work for him. He’s a statesman. The party will release a fuller statement on this. It’s a historical issue. People need to understand that the president, Jacob Zuma, is a former head of state. He’s very passionate about bringing peace to Africa and settling disputes,” he said.
Zuma’s decision to support the Moroccan occupation is a 180-degrees of surprising proportions. What could his agenda in Rabat be really about? Yes, the indigenous Saharawi have indeed been suffering from being caught up in the conflict but what does Zuma truly plan to gain from it? The ANC being in a minority Government of National Unity (GNU) won’t be able to do anything about a conflict thousands of Kilometres away giving Zuma his space. But what does Zuma hope to accomplish? And how does Algeria a long-time ally of ANC-led South Africa and rival to Morocco feel about Zuma’s slap in the face betrayal? Not very pleasant feelings for Zuma with whom the regime in Algiers had a close friendship with.
Is Zuma dreaming of being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the decades long conflict? Even US President Donald Trump has surprisingly been nominated for the honour due to his brokering peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Zuma for his part may wish to preserve and enhance his somewhat stained legacy as a peace maker.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
