Only political parties that are not hostile to the ANC and have no agenda to topple governing liberation movements in Africa have been invited to participate in the ANC-hosted Brics Political Parties Forum later this month.
Ruling parties in Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA) members states, fraternal parties of the ANC, progressive parties and those with which the ANC has had historical relations have been invited, shows a document presented to the ANC’s recent national working committee (NWC) in June, which Business Day has seen. The forum is part of the country’s preparations to host the Brics annual summit in August.
The governing party last hosted the forum in 2018 when SA held the 10th annual Brics summit. The government is not directly involved in hosting the forum.
The gathering, which is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg from July 18-20, takes “place in the midst of significant global shifts towards a multipolar global order and a conflict in Ukraine with varying spillover effects such as energy and food security”, the ANC says.
SA is mulling over what to do should Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has an International Criminal (ICC) warrant of arrest hanging over his head, arrive for the annual Brics summit in August.
A total of 57 international and domestic political parties have been invited to the forum, according to the ANC document. These include the United Party of Russia, Communist Party of China, Workers Party of Brazil, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the country’s opposition Indian National Congress.
Locally, the ANC has invited alliance partners Cosatu and the SACP, as well as the PAC, to participate. The list of invitations does not include any SA opposition parties.
“If the EFF want to be part of the summit ... they have to do that in writing. We haven’t received anything yet from the EFF,” ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said on Wednesday when questioned by reporters about whether the ANC had invited EFF leader Julius Malema to the forum.
DA leader John Steenhuisen confirmed that his party had not received an invitation.
“It is thus quite clear that this dialogue is taking place in a very exclusive fashion, which defeats the purpose of the dialogue altogether if all the necessary role players are not included around the table,” Steenhuisen said.
From the African continent, the ANC has invited former liberation movements including Frelimo from Mozambique, Swapo from Namibia, Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF, CCM from Tanzania and Angola’s MPLA party.
Party leaders are expected to discuss the increased calls by Brics member states for reform in global decision-making, the use of alternative currencies to the US dollar for international trade, expansion of Brics membership and working towards the integration of Brics financial and bond markets.
“Among the critical issues for the Brics Political Parties Plus Dialogue remains the agenda to advance inclusive multilateralism and changes in the global governance architecture; strengthening Brics and expanding its membership; partnerships to enhance Africa’s development and growth based on the AU Agenda 2063; climate change and environmental protection; and global peace and security,” the ANC document reads.
“Brics continues to represent the best form of multilateralism, where there is no big brother who dictates policy positions on geopolitics and other strategic matters,” it said.
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