ANC statement presented by ANC Secretary General Comrade Ace Magashule in support of regional day of solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe

23 October 2019

The African National Congress (ANC) wholeheartedly supports the SADC Regional Day of Solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe. Our support is in line with the African Union Resolution to support Zimbabwe in general, and especially against the USA led sanctions, as our fellow comrades in Zimbabwe struggle to rebuild their economy.

The ANC applauds the communiqué of the SADC Summit of the Heads of State, that reads as follows: "Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe and the region at large of prolonged economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate lifting of sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country Summit declared the 25 October as the date on which SADC member states can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted."

It must be emphasized that our unequivocal support for the SADC Regional Day of Solidarity with Zimbabwe, is premised on our unshakable belief in the principle of the sovereignty of all nations, and their right to self-determination.

Thus, the ANC supports Zimbabwe in the very same context that we have expressed our solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela, the State of Palestine and the people of Western Sahara, with Polisario and with the Saharawi Arab in their noble struggles for self-determination against the insidious, and prescriptive, meddling of the USA-led sanctions and regime change plans, in which many Western European nations and the European Union (EU) slavishly follow the USA lead.

As the ANC has stated with conviction many a time at the United Nations, and other international platforms, these actions contravene international law, and are illegal acts of political and economical prescriptiveness, followed up by the bullying of sanctions when the dictates of Big Brother are not accepted and implemented, that can never be accepted by any proud and sovereign nation.

The African National Congress will never allow such meddling in our own internal affairs, and as such integrity and principle dictates that we must also show our unwavering solidarity and support for fellow nations that are subjected to such international thuggery. International relations may never be ruled by the law of the jungle, where might is right, and economic power and military superiority become the only norm. As the ANC, we will never tolerate such conduct, because we understand very well that the day we allow this to continue, not only other nations but also our own hard fought liberation of our sovereign nation will be fundamentally compromised and in jeopardy.

The ANC is clear that in all these instances of imposed sanctions, with the intention to force "political and economic reforms", which are always the diplomatic code words of the USA and their lackeys to actually say, "Do as we say, or else ..."; the underlying motive force is always to subdue sovereign nations and to turn their economies into subservient service and raw material providers in order to boost USA and Western European economic growth, and to perpetuate our own underdevelopment.

This is nothing less than neo-colonialism. These exact words were in the past week again used by ambassador Brian Nichols, the USA ambassador to Zimbabwe, and of course ambassador Timo Olkkonen, the EU ambassador to Zimbabwe, followed suit. Ambassador Olkkone went even further and tried to rubbish the SADC Regional Day of Solidarity as a "a mere political statement that they came out with recently".

The ANC takes strong umbrage to such dismissive and arrogant language. As a liberation movement we are very clear that these are the actions and words of those who want to keep us as developing nations in perpetual economic servitude, and on a restraining leash that they can use to reign us in at their whim any time. No sovereign nation can ever tolerate such subjugation and humiliation! That leash must be cut loose, and it must be cut now. The time is long overdue that the strangle-hold that developed nations such as the USA, and the EU countries have over us, must be brought to an end.

It is in this context of defending the internationally sacred right to self-determination of every single sovereign nation that the African National Congress will be joining hands with our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe on Friday the 25th of October during the SADC Regional Day of Solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe. In doing so we highlight the plight of the long suffering Zimbabwean people, but we also do so in the long honored tradition of international solidarity with all nations worldwide, who are suffering under similar sanctions, and the political and economical prescriptive dictates and tyranny, of the USA and its allies.

The ANC is clear that we must continue you him to build alliances and strong progressive structures of international solidarity and economic empowerment - and we are very clear that among those are the SADC, the AU, as well as BRICS - in order for us to be able to stand up to our former colonial masters, and their latter day neo-colonial manifestations, and secure our own self-determination and economic liberation.

The ANC understands that the SADC Regional Day of Solidarity is one of the many important events that we must participate in, and take as determined steps of commitment on the long road to political and economic self-determination and freedom for all and every nation in the world. As such the two Secretaries General of the ANC and of ZANU/PF, Dr. Elias (Ace) Magashule and Dr. Obert Mpofu, will lead a joint ANC and ZANU/PF picket at Beit Bridge on Friday the 25th of October, as part of the many SADC Day of Solidarity with Zimbabwe events that the ANC will participate in. In this context solidarity activities took place in Limpopo, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and throughout South Africa, and in all the SADC countries.

We fully understand that it is indeed: ALUTA CONTINUA!

Issued by Pule Mabe, National Spokesperson, ANC, 23 October 2019