[ad_1]
Rabat — South Africa’s government expressed today strong objections to former President Jacob Zuma’s recent visit to Morocco.
The government mainly criticized the use of national symbols during Zuma’s meeting with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued a statement condemning the circumstances surrounding Zuma’s mid-July visit to Rabat.
The DIRCO “has registered its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader, former South African President Mr Jacob Zuma, who is Leader of Umkhonto We Sizwe Party, visited the Kingdom of Morocco and held a meeting in Rabat on 15 July 2025, with His Excellency Mr Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates,” the ministry’s statement said.
Flag display sparks protest
While acknowledging Morocco’s sovereign right to invite and host individuals or groups, South Africa’s government strongly protested the display of the South African flag during Zuma’s meeting with Morocco’s foreign minister.
“The use of the South African National Flag in a meeting with a member of a political party in opposition, which is a non-state actor, constitutes an abuse of existing protocol and decorum, and undermines official bilateral relations between the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Morocco,” the statement read.
DIRCO expressed outrage over the fact that Rabat displayed South African national symbols, which they claimed naturally imply official state approval and elevate public perception of the event to the level of state-to-state engagement.
However, according to the statement, the participants did not represent official South African positions or state commitments, making such characterization contrary to established diplomatic practices.
“This portrayal cannot be recognised as an official bilateral meeting, and the implications drawn from it are firmly rejected,” the ministry noted, urging Morocco’s government to avoid such actions in the future.
What’s truly behind this outrage?
South Africa’s government’s discontent with the visit is most probably linked to Zuma’s newly found position over Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and his endorsement of the country’s Autonomy Plan.
Following his July 15 meeting with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat, Zuma announced that his MK party supports Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
The former president said his party believes the Moroccan proposal “will allow meaningful local governance by the populations of the Sahara region, while guaranteeing Morocco its sovereignty over the Sahara.”
Zuma added that his party “recognizes the historical and legal context that strengthens Morocco’s claim to the Sahara” and believes Morocco’s efforts to recover its full territorial integrity align with the MK party’s commitment to preserving African states’ sovereignty and unity.
Describing the autonomy plan as offering “a balanced path that promotes stability, peace, and development in the region,” Zuma called on the international community to support Morocco’s offer as the most viable path to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity for the Sahara.
[ad_2]
Source link