The FF Plus wants to persuade other parties in the GNU to take a stance against the ANC’s foreign policy, saying it is failing to put the interests of the country first.
The FF Plus, which controls the ministry of correctional services in the government of national unity, says it also wants direct conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa over his party’s foreign policy approach, especially in relation to the US.
Relations between Pretoria and Washington DC are at an all-time low, with President Donald Trump adopting a hostile stance against South Africa over:
- false claims of genocide against white people;
- BBBEE laws; and
- its decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice over its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
“The ANC can no longer keep pushing South Africa and its people over the edge of economic and moral ruin with its risky and provocative foreign policy. It is time for the partners in the government of national unity [GNU] to take a stand against it,” FF Plus leader Corne Mulder said in a statement.
“Therefore the FF Plus will formally request an urgent discussion of South African foreign policy with President Cyril Ramaphosa and then reach out to, and invite, other parties in government to join the conversation.
“Not taking action could be construed as tacit consent, and that is certainly not the case.
the ANC is not even trying to make excuses for its double standards any more. The party wasted no time in dragging Israel and the US before the International Court of Justice and the UN, levelling accusations of genocide and violations of international law.
— Corne Mulder, FF Plus leader
“Under the ANC, foreign policy has taken on catastrophic proportions and could even undermine the GNU. It is high time to prioritise the country’s interests.”
Mulder also cited the recent controversy over the participation of Iran at the “Will for Peace 2026” naval parade at Simon’s Town, along with other Brics member states such as China and Russia.
“The urgency and significance of the request will be brought to the attention of the president. The ANC’s current conduct is openly defiant towards the US. The recent ‘Will for Peace 2026′ naval exercise in Simon’s Town serves as proof.
“The US has already expressed its disapproval of the naval exercise, which further harms trade relations — precisely at a time when the US Senate is deliberating Agoa,“ he said.
“In 30 years South Africa has degenerated from the world’s conscience to a country that has embedded itself among nations with questionable human rights records, such as Iran, which is now brutally acting against its own citizens who yearn for freedom and democracy.
South Africa’s list of friends reads like a “roll of shame”. Friendships with autocrats are prioritised above human rights and strategic alliances with the West, Mulder said.
“To make matters worse, the ANC is not even trying to make excuses for its double standards any more. The party wasted no time in dragging Israel and the US before the International Court of Justice and the UN, levelling accusations of genocide and violations of international law.
“The ANC simply cannot be trusted to manage South Africa’s foreign policy on its own. As a partner in the GNU, the FF Plus insists that all GNU partners should have a say in the decisions.”
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