South Africa protestors call for better ties with Morocco, sending strong message to Algerian junta

Several disgruntled South Africans gathered outside the African National Congress’s (ANC) Headquarters in Johannesburg to protest against the ANC’s hostile diplomatic approach to Morocco, signaling a growing rift within South Africa’s politicians over relations with the North African Kingdom and the Sahara issue.

With Morocco’s rising economic power in Africa, increasing voices in South Africa are pushing for mending political ties with Rabat for shared economic interests. The rift within ANC has emerged following the historic defeat of the party of Nelson Mandela which has lost its 30-year majority in Parliament.

The demonstration, which came ahead of the visit South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa paid to Algeria, sends a strong message to the Algerian military regime saying that in politics & international relations “there are no permanent friends or enemies, but only interests”.

Teboho Maake, an activist who spearheaded the protest movement said: “We are dissatisfied over the ANC’s stance against Morocco, and there exists an urgent need for clarity on how we plan to develop our bilateral relationships with them.”

This statement comes amidst the controversy surrounding ANC’s provincial leader, Obed Bapela, who faced internal party ramifications, after the visit he paid to Morocco, advocating enhanced trade relations between the two countries. The trip was seen as an overture going against ANC’s foreign policy and standing with Algeria-backed Polisario separatist group.

During the protest, demonstrators submitted to ANC a letter calling on the party to build stronger ties with Morocco, a major economic rival and serious competitor to South Africa in the Continent and global market.

This protest shows a growing tension building inside the ANC, raising questions about the future of South Africa’s foreign relations, particularly the neutral position which the ANC must observe in the Sahara issue to develop partnership with Morocco, champion of south-south cooperation.

The North African Kingdom has become a strategic regional & international hub for exportation and manufacturing as well as a leader in renewable energy, automotive industry, aeronautics, agribusiness, food security…

The protestors also stressed the need to make a difference between the Sahara regional conflict and the issue of Palestine, saying that the majority of African countries recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara territory. Time has come for South Africa to join the international momentum and look for its interests instead of betting on a losing horse.

With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, a new geopolitical map will be redrawn. Johannesburg needs to show realpolitik bearing in mind that Trump announced in 2020 U.S. recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara and that Pretoria risks economic sanctions for siding the U.S. adversaries engaging in activities that undermine Washington’s national security and foreign policy interests.

Furthermore, the Polisario militia, funded and armed by Algeria, is very likely to be designated by the U.S. terrorist organization by the Trump administration after mounting evidences of the separatists’ ties with terrorist networks and deadly attacks launched against civilians in Moroccan Sahara.