by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOUTH Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) says it will never tolerate any bullying by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States on sovereignty of nations over global political developments.
ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, addressed the media on Wednesday at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg, insisted the governing party would not be dictated to by foreign powers to tow the agenda of imperialism.
Mbalula was reacting to questions asked by journalists following the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine in which NATO and the US are forcing countries to condemn Russia as an aggressor.
He said the ANC stance was to seek peaceful resolutions as opposed to condemnation and warmongering.
“We support our government’s principal stance on Ukraine,” Mbalula said.
South Africa, like most of the continent, has taken a non-aligned stance.
On the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Mbalula insisted the ruling party would be guided by the government’s move.
However, the African nation, which is part of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) has in the past refused to be coerced into decisions it did not subscribe to.
There are global growing concerns over selective application of prosecution by ICC’s fight against war-crimes and crimes against humanity.
ICC is accused of only seeking to prosecute leaders from third world and non-European countries.
The US, Britain and NATO leaders stand accused of war-crimes and crimes against humanity but none have ever faced trial.
The US is accused of being the worst aggressor.
Countries bombed by the United States since the end of World War III comprise China (1945-46 and 1950-53), Korea (1950-53),Guatemala (1954 and 1960, 1967-69), Indonesia (1958), Cuba (1959-60), Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo 1964), Guatemala (1964), Dominican Republic (1965-66) and Peru (1965).
Other countries include Laos (1964-73), Vietnam (1961-73), Cambodia (1969-70), Lebanon (1982-84), Grenada (1983-84), Libya (1986), El Salvador (1981-92), Nicaragua (1981-90), Iran (1987-88), Libya (1989), Panama (1989-90), Iraq (1991), Kuwait (1991), Somalia (1992-94), Bosnia (1995), Iran (1998 and 2020), Sudan (1998), Afghanistan (1998, 2001), Yugoslavia – Serbia (1999), Libya (2011), Iraq and Syria (2014) and Somalia (2011).
– CAJ News