THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has called on the government to expel the United States (US) ambassador, Reuben Brigety II, following his claims the host country sent arms to Russia, in its conflict with Ukraine. At a press briefing he addressed on Thursday, Brigety accused South Africa of “arming Russia with a vessel that landed in Simons Town.”
The envoy further asserted that this was “fundamentally unacceptable.” “The conduct of the United States ambassador to South Africa, leaves much to be desired,” SACP national spokesman, Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo said.
“In defence of our democratic national sovereignty and for his hysterically unbecoming behaviour, South Africa must send him packing as a matter of urgency.”
SACP believes Brigety’s utterances suggest that he may as well be embedded in “rogue intelligence operations involved in spying on our country.” SACP is part of the tripartite alliance, which includes the governing African National Congress (ANC) and South African Congress of Trade Unions (COSATU).
It is seen as hypocritical of the US envoy to make such claims, as it emerged America allocated nearly $115 billion actively participating in sponsoring the war in Ukraine, with military hardware and other warfare spending.
SACP also reminded that it was not South Africa but the US-dominated NATO, the US-led Western military alliance, that provoked the war in Ukraine through imperialist expansionism aimed at Russia.
“The hypocritical imperialist regime of the United States under its “Monroe Doctrine” does not permit any country to do in the western hemisphere what it does in other global regions” Mashilo said.
Meanwhile, last October, the US Embassy and Consulate in South Africa issued what they called a security alert as part of the US government, alleging it had “received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg, on 29 October 2022.”
“The claims Brigety spreads amount to attempts at destabilising South Africa and are a national security threat,” Mashilo added.
The party reiterated that the US does not have a right to determine South Africa’s international relations policy. The US stands accused of destabilising and dictating to the developing world.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela (now late), once told the United States journalists: “One of the mistakes which some political analysts make is to think their enemies should be our enemies.”
– CAJ News
