The ANC is caught up in an international crisis after its deputy head of the international relations subcommittee misrepresented the party in Morocco.
According to insiders the ANC officials have called for Obed Bapela's head after an embarrassing engagement with their allies in Africa's northern regions of Western Sahara and Algeria.
In a letter written to the ANC leader by the subcommittee head, deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said the party has stripped Bapela of his international privileges to engage foreign governments as a party representative.
Bapela was reported to have met the Moroccan minister of foreign affairs Nasser Bourita in Rabat to foster stronger trade ties between the two nations. Bapela is said to have invited a Moroccan delegation to South Africa to explore investment opportunities.
The letter dated October 9 states that Bapela misled the party when he travelled to Morocco.
TimesLIVE Premium understands Bapela could face disciplinary action in the coming weeks, with Mokonyane said to be “highly irate”.
“It has come to our attention that your recent activities in Morocco, which you initially described as a private family outing, have raised significant concerns. It is alleged that you represented yourself as a delegate of the ANC and or the Republic of South Africa, which is both misleading and inappropriate,” she said.
Bapela is alleged to have organised a delegation under false pretences and travelled under the guise of an official for the ANC, including the misrepresentation of credentials of individuals known to the ANC.
“Given the information we have gathered, we regard your conduct as a serious violation of our principles and policies, particularly concerning our stance on Morocco and our relationship with Algeria and Western Sahara.
“Your actions contradict our established positions and resolutions. Had it not been for our comrades in Algeria, who provided recorded evidence of the proceedings in Morocco, the ANC would have remained unaware of these misrepresentations and the implications they carry for our organisation,” Mokonyane wrote.
Effective immediately, you must cease any further engagements with any government or political party representatives in the name of the ANC
— ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane
Mokonyane demanded that Bapela provide an explanation regarding his conduct and the actions taken in Morocco.
“Effective immediately, you must cease any further engagements with any government or political party representatives in the name of the ANC.”
She said the secretary-general's office would communicate the next steps to be taken to address the matter.
“We will appreciate your immediate attention to this serious issue and expect your co-operation moving forward,” she said.
ANC insiders have called Bapela's actions a serious offence to the party which has been campaigning for the plight of the people of Western Sahara.
The ANC, and by extension the government, has had a contentious relationship with the Moroccan government. Tensions between the two countries played out during the Brics summit last year when the Moroccan government declined an invitation to attend the summit at the 11th hour.
Much like its Palestinian cause, Pretoria has had a long-standing campaign to have recognised the independence of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, also known as the Western Sahara, against a Moroccan invasion.
The ANC and Algeria's National Liberation Front have been united in the fight for an independent Western Sahara.
Diplomatic ties between Pretoria and Rabat were at an all-time low in 2004 when Rabat withdrew its ambassador from the country after South Africa first recognised Western Sahara's sovereignty.
In 2022 during a state visit to the country by the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa's support for its people who had been under occupation for more than 31 years.
He said Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara remains a matter of concern to both Africa and the international community.
“Until the people of Western Sahara are able to exercise their right to self-determination, the decolonisation of Africa will be incomplete. As a country whose freedom was attained with the assistance of international support and solidarity, South Africa stands with the Saharawi people in their struggle against illegal occupation.
“We have agreed to continue to work together to mobilise regional, continental and international support towards a sustainable resolution to the Western Sahara conflict in line with the provisions of the 1991 Ceasefire Agreement. We reiterate the need to return to direct dialogue between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front without preconditions. We will continue to advocate for the active participation of African countries in the resolution of the issue of Western Sahara,” Ramaphosa said at the time.
In a media statement, the ANC said it remains solidly steadfast in support of the Sahrawi people and their right to independence.
“It will not sanction any actions that compromise its principled positions on decolonisation, self-determination and justice. The ANC will continue to work with its allies, including Algeria and others across the international community, to ensure that the people of Western Sahara achieve the freedom they have long been denied,” the party said.
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