ANC wants to ‘sit and iron out differences’ with AfriForum and Solidarity

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has extended an olive branch to AfriForum and the Solidarity union movement, expressing the party's commitment to resolving their differences.

This comes after AfriForum and Solidarity's contentious visit to the US, where they met with officials in President Donald Trump's administration, intensifying tensions between South Africa and the US over land policies.

Briefing the media on Sunday after the party's national executive committee (NEC) meeting, Mokonyane said the party aims to “sit and iron out our differences” with the two groups.

“We have made a commitment as the ANC that we will engage AfriForum and Solidarity,” Mokonyane said. 

“We want to engage them because we have sat with our own enemies over time to negotiate what we have here today. It takes a movement like the ANC to show the world that in any conflict we have to finally come together, sit and iron out our differences.”

She said the move was influenced by the constitution.

“Our laws dictate how we must build the nation. We can’t be handpicking things in the constitution. Many South Africans want to open up many other sections in the constitution. We don’t want to go there. The freedom charter said the people shall govern. There shall be peace and friendship.”

The groups' visit to the US has been criticised by some political parties, including the MK Party, which has opened a case of treason against AfriForum and Solidarity for spreading misinformation about South Africa's land reform policies.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned AfriForum and Solidarity's actions, accusing them of undermining SA's sovereignty by taking their grievances to Washington.

Mokonyane emphasised the country cannot allow a minority group to dominate government.

“We can’t as a nation be dragged into a situation where we must be comfortable with a minority wanting to dominate a majority. They can’t even claim to be representing a section of the population which is white because many want to see SA progressing.”

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