Jacob Zuma Morocco visit - DIRCO reaction

In a press statement published on the 6th of August 2025, 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 the Leader of the Umkhonto We Sizwe Party, to Morocco on the 15th of July 2025”. 

Whilst recognising and respecting the sovereign right of Morocco to invite individuals and groups, DIRCO stated that “it strongly protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag, in the meeting between Mr Jacob Zuma and the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco”.

This statement, which has been published three weeks after the visit, uses the excuse of the flag previously mentioned in the ANC press release concerning the visit of the previous Head of State to criticise the presence of the latter in Morocco. 

Indeed, the hypersensitivity of DIRCO and its unusual and exaggerated reaction raise several questions about the priorities of Foreign Policy in our country, especially during these tough times.

Amidst the recent punitive Trump Tariffs, the focus should be to mend the trade relationship to assert the economic diplomacy plan that was adopted by DIRCO, DTIC and the Ministry of Finance.

Nonetheless, DIRCO took time among these huge trade problems with the USA that threaten our national interest to publish a press release concerning the visit of the former Head of State.

This is not the first trip undertaken by Jacob Zuma as the former head of state outside of South Africa. It is indeed worth mentioning that M. Zuma has been invited this year to the inauguration ceremonies of both newly elected Ghana and Gabon presidents in his capacity as an ex-President of South Africa. During those two trips, M. Zuma received a warm welcome from the authorities of those two African countries without sparking any reaction from DIRCO.

During his trip to Morocco, M. Jacob Zuma, who voiced his party's support for the autonomy proposal over the Sahara, has been very clear in his address, stating that it was his party’s view and not of the State, thus closing the debate about any confusion regarding the South African Government's position concerning the conflict.

This position expressed by MK was not a surprise at all. The South African Party published, nearly two months ago, a detailed document named “A strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation and Territorial Integrity: Morocco”, in which it detailed its stance concerning Morocco and the Western Sahara conflict 

In this document, Umkhonto WeSizwe stated that: “Commitment to sovereignty: Morocco’s efforts to reclaim its full territorial integrity align with the MK Party’s commitment to preserving the sovereignty and unity of African states. This resonates more than ever with South Africa as our country battles against internal forces aiming at breaking our country’s territorial integrity. Thus, MK party remains steadfast in defending the territorial integrity of South Africa as a sacrosanct principle of its foreign policy”.

This statement of MK brought to light the inexistence of a consensus concerning the issue of Western Sahara among the political sphere in South Africa. It is also worth recalling that when the ANC reacted to the position expressed by MK concerning Western Sahara citing “the right of Self-determination of Western Sahara”, the separatist movement “cape independence” published, on the 20th July 2025, a tweet saying:” Hypocrisy Alert! ANC pushes for Western Sahara independence while denying Western Cape & other SA groups the same right to self-determination. What’s good for one isn’t good for all?”.

Coming back to the issue of the flag, well-informed cadres among the MK party said that “The South African flag displayed during Mr. Zuma's visit was done at his express request, as a gesture of honour and respect for his position as a previous Head of State”.

Moreover, it is universal practice for national flags to be present in nongovernmental contexts and engagements: sporting competitions, cultural events, civil forums, etc, added the cadres of MK. 

Thus, the DIRCO statement raises the issue of the use of the national flag by South African citizens, organisations and political parties in General. Expressing concerns over this issue, the spokesperson of MK, M. Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said that “Mbalula, on his visit in 2023 in Algeria, had a national flag of South Africa in a picture taken with him and the foreign minister of Algeria and DIRCO said nothing. Why now? The ANC and its GNU do not own the South African flag; it belongs to South Africans, and President Zuma is a South African, and a former head of state”.

On the details of Zuma's trip to Morocco, IOL was able to confirm that the visit was prepared with the involvement of the South African Embassy in Rabat, which officially asked the Moroccan authorities to grant Mr. Zuma protocol treatment. Under these conditions, some experts contacted by IOL declared that it is “totally contradictory for the South African authorities to request that Mr. Zuma be treated as a high dignitary, only to criticise the use of the South African flag during his visit”.

It is worth noting that all the previous Heads of state in South Africa, when they undertake a trip abroad, are asked to communicate all the details of their trip to the State protocol, who then inform DIRCO to take all the measures to coordinate with the relevant authorities of the country all the aspects of the visit including the protocol.

The aspects raised above are just a reflection of the existing deep disagreement of different South African political parties with the ANC's foreign policy, which has sparked a big debate about the national foreign policy of South Africa and the actual existence of a consensus around its priorities.

Indeed, the DA, which is a partner of the ANC in the GNU, has undertaken, in March 2025, a trip to the USA, which was officially communicated by the previous DA Spokesperson on International Relations & Cooperation, Mrs Emma Powell, in total contradiction with the official position expressed by the South African Government and DIRCO.

It is expected that the MK will not stay silent about this press release from DIRCO. The party will use the platform of the press briefing related to the outcomes of the latest meeting of the national officials of the party, scheduled on Friday, 8th of August 2025, to address all the issues raised on the press release of DIRCO.