GLOBAL SOUTH GATHERING
Fikile Mbalula heads to Moscow for forum on combating Western ‘neocolonialism’
The ANC indicated it will join political parties from the Global South in Russia this week to discuss forming an organisation to challenge the dominance of the West and erode neocolonialism.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula will this week lead the governing party’s delegation to Moscow where several political parties from the Global South will finalise the details of a structure that is being formed to confront neocolonialism.
The informal forum, which will be held from 15-17 February and will be officially launched at the end of March, is an initiative of the United Russia party, which is aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The three-day meeting is expected to recommend the establishment of a forum organising committee headed by Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
While it’s unclear which parties will be present, an organising committee meeting in November 2023 included political formations from Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, China, Cuba, Laos, Lebanon, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan and South Africa, according to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to media reports, representatives from North Korea’s ruling party and Central African Republic’s president will attend this week’s meeting.
On the 15-17 February 2024, I will lead an ANC delegation to the Forum Of Supporters Of The Struggles Against Modern Practices Of Neocolonialism – For The Freedom Of Nations, in Moscow, Russia. #ANCAtWork pic.twitter.com/RI3p4IvuZn
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) February 13, 2024
A gathering concept note, titled “The concept of an Inter-Party Forum of Advocates Against Modern Neocolonialism Practice”, says that the United Nations has fallen short in creating equality between former colonial powers and colonies.
It further sets out that these former colonial powers have continued to maintain their supremacy in the modern-day political landscape.
“In practice, these countries keep exercising the right of the powerful by other means. Direct and open subordination has been replaced by a system of abusive relationships and ethnocide based, among other things, on credit dependence, illegal sanctions that bypass the UN Security Council, and the imposition of destructive cultural, religious, and educational attitudes instead of traditional values,” it reads.
Read more in Daily Maverick: South Africa’s connection with Putin’s Russia – Your burning questions answered
The formation of the forum is based on the UN General Assembly’s Resolution 1514 — Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples — adopted in 1960.
“The distinctive feature of the Forum is that it does not target any particular state or international organization and is open to broad cooperation with all interested parties by the objectives and principles of the UN Charter and the international law.
“The forum aims to promote the development of a global political system that would ensure reliable and indivisible security, global stability and justice, compliance with the benevolent non-interference principle, and respect for cultural and civilisational identities,” the concept note reads.
The proposed organising committee is intended to develop the programme of the forum for the founding event, compile a preliminary list of its participants and working bodies, and draft its final documents.
However, it has already been noted that all decisions of the committee will be made through consensus and those on technical issues will be made by a simple majority of the participants.
In an article ahead of this week’s forum, Alexey Drobinin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Planning Department, blamed the West for imposing sanctions on rivals and freezing their assets, economic exploitation and propagating “deviant sexual orientations”.
“Today, more and more states are openly opposing the unfair policy of Washington, its satellites and Western-controlled international organisations. There are more and more examples of successful interstate cooperation outside Western-centric organisations and entities.
“BRICS and the [Shanghai Cooperation Organisation] are becoming stronger, the Non-Aligned Movement has received a new lease of life, and the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations has been established at the UN,” Drobinin wrote.
SA-US relations hang in the balance
This move could further jeopardise the already troubled relationship between South Africa and the US.
Just last week, it was reported that the US House of Representatives was seeking to introduce legislation which would require the US administration to conduct a full review of US relations with South Africa because Pretoria is supposedly siding with the US’s adversaries, including Hamas, Russia and China.
If passed, the “U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act” would also require the administration to report to Congress “explicitly stating whether South Africa has engaged in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests”.
The Bill said that no later than 30 days after its enactment — if it is passed by both the House and the Senate — the US president should deliver to Congress and publicly release “an unclassified determination explicitly stating whether South Africa has engaged in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests”.
This could also affect the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which provides preferential access to the US market for the exports of eligible African countries, including South Africa.
The US and South Africa have been at odds over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and South Africa’s support for Palestine in the war against Israel has added to the tensions, particularly SA’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Diplomatic fallout of ICJ ruling on Israel could put SA’s Agoa renewal at risk
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently warned that there may be “fightback campaigns” following the ICJ’s ruling and claimed that critics might want to influence South Africa’s upcoming elections.
“The fightback may focus on our domestic politics and our electoral outcomes in order to pursue a regime change agenda. Some people have said this was a David and Goliath contest,” he said.
“We must be aware that while we have done what we believe was driven by our conscience and principles, and while we took the matter to the courts which were set up by those who were there, we are blamed for taking the matter to the courts that they have set up and we should not be blamed for that,” he said at the time. DM
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I don’t know how our country is going to make do without him for a week. Going to be a real tester for us.
Lol!
From the Dubai sun to the Moscow chill, travel safe Frikkie, and get Vlad this time to foot the bill.
Under circumstances that we all thought were normal under the protection of western democracies this move would have raised eye brows.
But from what we know now it is unwise to put your eggs in one basket, with the expectancy of the Agoa backlash in the backdrop of the ICJ embarrassment to the western choir masters, this is a much needed move.
Ja I mean who needs jobs in the manufacturing sector and preferential import agreements with the worlds largest economy? Onwards the NDR so that the poor can become poorer and the ANC comrades richer. VIVA COMRADE AMANDLAAAAAAAAA
These countries will never plug the gap if we get sanctioned by the US and Europe. Not even close. The bigger concern however is that we have much to say about the “western choir masters” – countries to which people from the “global south” often flee to find refuge and a chance for a dignified life – and then get in bed with the most corrupt and habitual human rights abusers; our hypocrisy is unbearable and our economic woes will just get worse under this regime.
Well said. These ANC looters are posing and posturing before the election, and once again they have forgotten Tintswalo and her friends and family who are the ones who will suffer from the loss of trade and funding from the evil west. The hypocrisy is almost laughable. I wonder when they will refuse trade or funding from the west on moral grounds?
The “backlash” was brought on by this useless ANC which is obviously being led by the nose by countries such as Russia who benefit us far less than the west. It is more about what Putin can do for the ANC as a party and SA as a whole.
So you WANT the complete collapse of SA’s economy?
Apologies. “and NOT SA as a whole”. Typo
Was asking Kenneth
That’s like saying, it’s a good thing we purchased some band-aids and Dettol after we intentionally shot a massive hole in our foot…
Kenneth, please inform yourself and read Tim Cohen’s DM article “To Russia with love”. Get some real perspective.
I am well informed by the purpose of the summit.
It is centered around the 1514 declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and people’s adopted in 1960.
As much as the physical colonization was lifted it was replaced by financial colonization.
Agoa was a purely a mutual agreement on trade agreements with Europe and America (not Israel) but by taking Israel to an internationally accredited body visibly supported by the EU and America in the case of Ukraine, leads to a threat of loosing trade with the EU and America.
The trade agreement does not have those conditions.
In these 2 wars billions are spent by the EU and allies for support but the money is not going to those countries, it goes to the weapons manufacturing companies in the same countries.
The business news states that business is booming to those companies that were almost dormant.
The so called support is not out of love.
Fikile Mbalula is representing the party through his counterparts in the Kremlin, the South African government and South African state represented by foreign affairs is not in Moscow and have not communicated the intentions to be there.
The much needed Agoa and financial support needs have clearer terms and conditions.
If selling the nations soul is part of the conditions it must be clearly communicated.
Yes, the old begging bowl in the one hand and middle finger in the other. Every one loves that.
That was hilarious, thanks Fikile.
The delinquent get together, Cool Aid and caviar.
One step closer to ending AGOA and all FDI
Yawn
Another 1950’s soviet-era wet dream for the ANC.
Sorry, Paul, we are currently experiencing water shedding, so no “wet”.
Also, we are still experiencing loadshedding and it’s too hot to sleep without a fan, so no “dream”, either.
Amazing. In today’s Maverick headlines, the AnC is urging the ICJ to take action on Israel, and Mr Fix Fokol is off to Russia while it plunders the Ukraine.. .you can’t make this stuff up. A fightback of neocolonialism, led by an aggressive colonizer. Without really needing it, proof of the fact the AnC is a truly empty vessel, a cadre of criminals
Yup, top to bottom, but the rot begins in the head.
Yip, with Putin having expressly said he wants to recreate the Russia of 800 years ago (or whenever), the war in Ukraine is overtly one of empire building. Absolutely mind blowing, the level of pathetic grovelling for election funding the ANC is reducing itself to.
The list of human rights abusers presented as part of the “global south” is horrifying. At least the ANC’s resentment of “the West” is coming more into the open each day along with their willingness to cooperate with criminal and authoritarian states (I guess birds of a feather flock together). There’s a global political game afoot in which South Africa will get hammered.
The ANC : “Here’s an idea. The Americans are considering reviewing their relations with SA, Let’s join Moscow badmouthing the West just to make sure they do “.
do you think they will take on the newest colonisers? ……. chinese pakis and so on
look around see who is making a difference now
They are so blinded by their sponsors, that they don’t realise that before they know it, we will be colonised by their new ‘friends”
Exactly right. “Come to us rather my African friends. We will put Wagner in place to pilfer Africas’s resources and you will be super wealthy “
Just when you thought the Americans had forgotten what “bipartisan” means, the ANC rolls into town in their rust bucket Lada – while waving hammer & sickle flags and repeatedly calling each other “Comrade”.
Another Comrade heading back to the Motherland for a booster shot of failed ideology. Maybe can pick up a prescription for Msholozi and NoLady at the same time.
This is a godsend for the ANC. It will keep motormouth out of the way for a week at least. They call it risk mitigation in MBA speak.
So true
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes this ‘forum’ as follows on their website:
“The patterns of behaviour propagated by the collective West are an inalienable part of neocolonialism. Deviant sexual orientations, denying human nature and other tricks are used to destroy traditional spiritual and moral values.
“The imposition of destructive ideas is carried out with tenacity and resourcefulness worthy of better use. For example, when signing the partnership agreement (a trade document for the most part) in November 2023, the EU demanded that its partners from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States should follow in its wake and legalise abortions and the LGBT agenda, introduce universal sexual education and adopt other ideological concepts of modern Europe. The attempt by several Jamaica-led Caribbean countries to at least postpone the signing of this document threatened that country with a loss of vital external funding for its socio-economic programmes.”
It’s more than a little concerning, albeit unsurprising in the ‘multipolar world’, that the secretary-general of the ANC would be flying to Moscow to break break with conservative bigots at this gathering. Anyone who thinks the cultural and political freedoms enshrined in the constitution would survive another ANC term (or a single MK term) is deluding themselves.
Hearing the word ‘neocolonialism’ from Russia is almost hilarious. The entire premise of Putler’s thinking is subjugation of other peoples to create a Russian Empire. And, in typical fashion, the ANC stumble along in the quotidian fog of mental loadshedding, imagining that somehow Russia=Soviet Union. Then again, it’s like Bugsy Malone meeting up with Tony Soprano.
The company: North Korea, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Siria from which people are fleeing. Laos is the capital of Nigeria. The colonisers now are China and and Russia
Laos is a country in Asia. Lagos is city in Nigeria.
Laos is a country and capital of Nigeria is Lagos.
There are many international indices. The recently published Corruption Perception Index, one would consider an independent one. Take the 17 listed countries from this and compare them to the 17 countries considered to be the West. You will find the West are averaged in the best 20% and the SA/Russia list in the worst 30%. Try another index.
The word “perception” is quite important. A question that comes to me is whether the 17 countries considered to be the West are involved in corrupt practices in other countries or anti-competetive behaviour in world trade. If I own the field and make the rules for the game, is it a surprise that my team seems able to win without needing to commit fouls?
The Wiki page alone gives enough info on the index, including the good and bad of it – including the testing of validity against other, hard benchmarks. (And that the African Development Bank is part of the group providing information.)
However if you really believe that this index is “gamed” by the “winners” (i.e. developed world) then it raises the simple question of motive. What would be the point? The index is almost exclusively used by clients (individuals, companies, NGO’s, investors) in the West (the “winner”) countries to inform relative investment and risk decisions. Very few actual users really care about the top 20%, or that Denmark is No 1. But many will care that SA is ranked at No 83 while Botswana is at 39. That moves the needle in the risk matrixes of users who actually trust and believe the academic credentials and sources of the index compilers – as opposed to the glib PR of governments. Or blind conspiracies.
This highlights my incorrect assessment of the effectiveness of government ministers. I know Mbalula is no longer a Minister, but he was for many years having done what appears to have been very little in Sports, Police, and Transportation. General consensus in the echo chambers I inhabit was that he was ineffectual and every department that he lead was worse off for his leadership. My mistake though is to judge effectiveness by looking for a demonstrable improvement in service delivery in the Ministry that a person leads. The yardstick that is obviously being used is revolutionary consciousness and not service delivery. How effectively can a person forward the National Democratic Revolution, irrespective of departmental competence or even honesty, is the yardstick that the ANC uses when deploying cadres. In this regard, Mbalula is a top man whose every thought has been forged in the fires of revolutionary consciousness. How wrong could I have been?
Problem is, I’m wondering if the scourge of corruption has not imploded for the ANC to the point where their own goal of implementing a revolution has taken a back seat to personal resource accumulation amongst the cadres?
I’m afraid its par for the course Lawrence. In order for the socialist revolution to succeed you have to collapse a country to the point where the majority of its inhabitants are in such despair that they welcome the revolutionaries with open arms. Personal resource accumulation is simply a perk of the job of being a revolutionary. The troubling thing is people refuse to see this for what it is and that the Constitution, or the courts, or the ‘goodwill of the majority’ will somehow save us.
Agree with this, but I think the revolution’s primary goal was always personal wealth accumulation, as Smuts Ngonyama famously said.
Exactly! As long as we confuse ‘socialism’ with corruption & gangsterism, the true issues will NEVER be addressed. As it relates to indices (whatever their rules or source), it must be noted that those with some of the highest scores in terms of human development & happiness exist in so-called social-democracies, most European countries, even those with so-called conservative governments.
This is really funny: bouncing between the ICJ & Putin. Talk about cognitive dissonance.
Is this the real reason or is the visit to canvas the alleged Russian reputation for vote rigging internationally? Just a thought.
Maybe, but me thinks it might be to pay the debt to Russia. Come December, the ANC is suddenly flush and can pay its staff at Luthuli house!
For a moment I got my “holidays” wrong and this was an elaborate Daily Maverick April Fool’s Day. But it was only the ANC’s favourite Valentine fool.
I assume he has made his way to Moscow on a neo-colonialist Airbus or Boeing and sipped neo-colonialist champagne on the way?
Sad how so many countries, having escaped western colonialism, are now intent in diving back into eastern colonialism. The western colonialists were thuggish, extractive demagogues. The eastern colonialists will be found (and have been shown) to be thuggish, extractive demagogues.
Just looking at those attending I dont see one successful lot amongst them, Maybe he should also house hunt while there seeing the anc is on their way out.
How is it, that a “democratic country” or socialist democracy lile ours keeps company with a dictatorial regime? Again what the ANC say and do are two different things.
We have a schizophrenic government cozying up to a dictatorship.
It walks like a duck and screeches like a hadeda. Insane!!!!!! We are truly lost.
Is there time for me to send them a globe?
The “west” that they aim to counter actually includes japan, south korea, australia, new zealand, singapore, etc.
The “south” group is meeting in russia and global south generally includes china, india and russia that are most certainly not south of anything but the north pole.
East, west, south, north are anyway constructs of where the center of your map is. Hence sending them a globe. My map would helpfully color countries by their score in personal, financial, political and economic freedoms and the rule of law. This would make it far simpler for the the ANC to find their friends on the globe.
It is ironic that the anti-colonialists are meeting in the capital of the country that is right now colonizing Ukraine.
What a sick joke from a sick party and a sick buffoon to boot. If anything, we in Africa should counter Putin’s Russia grand designs to colonize this continent through Wagner. All smoke and mirrors under the guise of countering the West. This is so pathetic that only the dimwit anc and their equally dimwit followers could be party to such a charade. The only ” investment” Putin does is to extract/rape a country and reward those in power by kickbacks etc. to the detriment of the nation.
Agreed!!
The ANC electoral strategy.
We’ve screwed up completely at home and broken South Africa for all our people. And its getting harder to steal, so buying votes is trickier. What can we do?
Theres only one thing for it: Divert attention!
Palestine: let’s make a big show of how tough we are. Who cares if we’re irrelevant and we spend a ton of our people’s money achieving nothing – they will think we’re wonderful!
Use Apartheid: yes! even though it’s old and has no bearing on how much we’ve lied, stolen and let the country go backwards, it’s always good for a few votes
Comrade Russia: our voters love old big red, even if it makes no logical sense – send Fikile to Russia!
Don’t be fooled people of South Africa. Not a single one of these things will help a single one of us.
This is what the ANC does best for us all: precisely nothing.
Well put Fanie you hit the nail on the head, this is exactly how the ANC do things, ie. nothing at all.
I love the ending of his announcement.”……….for the freedom of nations”
Like Ukraine for example? You really cannot make this BS up.
Bob F. 14th February 2024 at 08:24
Bob voyage Fikile. You’re mixing with the big boys. Behave and if don’t be embarrass us anymore than usual
There is a growing realisation of the neo-colonialism of China behind its Belt & Road Initiative, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is simple land-grabbing. The ANC should bow its head in shame for its hypocrisy.
I hope that the ANC are paying for his holiday but no money for staff salaries ?
One day – soon I hope – the ANC will wake up and realise they are just the gimp on the global stage, existing to be used and manipulated by super powers.
I 100% guarantee there is loud laughter at South Africa behind Russian closed doors.
Bra Fiks in his R29k Dolce & Gabbana ‘track suit’ is as gimpy as it gets. The nice Russians are rightly laughing their asses off at him and his portly posse
Careful, Bra Razzmatazz can break absolutely anything.
No worries, after the May election this will come to a grinding halt along with the ANC’s loss at the polls. These elections could not have come sooner.
You’re making a huge assumption here Wayne – that there will actually be elections. It will not surprise me one bit if the ANC cancel them. After all, they have broken the conditions of our constitution more times than one can remember. Why has there been a delay?
Hosted by Russia, the ‘Neo-colonialist” par excellence!
You couldn’t make this up. Fools rushing to Russia to form a group against modern practices of neocolonialism. This can’t be the Russia that’s trying to eradicate Ukraine, who is condemning leaders of independent European countries for pulling down Soviet era statues, who invaded Afghanistan, etc. etc.
Pure farce, so Mbalula should feel right at home.
Well, well, the comrades of suppression, vote rigging, human rights abuses and the rest of the long list, have arranged to gang up on the nations of the West to fight neocolonialism.
Instead of SA getting on with the job of delivering economic growth, like Malaysia, Singapore and India after independence, the ANC align themselves with the rogue’s gallery. Anyone would think that the ANC are still engaged in the Apartheid struggle and the comrades need to keep running to Russia for help and guidance as they wrestle with the responsibility of running the country.
With SA part of the Chinese College in Tanzania, teaching how to run a one-party state, suppressing dissent and gaining total control of the media, this decision to confront the West, is no surprise to me.
Zimbabwe II is well-advanced in the making and the embryo of political interference in the voting system will be perfected with the input of Russia and China. Why would the ANC purposely turn a blind eye to the atrocious record of the many outrageous activities of these countries? To retain power at any cost.
The writing is on the wall. Stay on in SA and boil to death slowly, or jump out of the pot now!
Reading this article this morning triggered many emotions. I have refrained from getting involved with the mud slinging on social media because it’s a waste of time and energy. Trying to argue with people that refuse to see reason or engage in respectful discourse. We should always be open to learning and understanding nuance. Social media (especially TikTok), has completely eroded peoples ability for critical thinking. Fuelling our emotions and heads with anger, hate and indignation. The west is far from perfect, definitely guilty of its share of crimes. But at least you have the freedom to stand and protest in relative safety without fear of being lynched or tortured. At least you have the freedom to dress and love who and how you want. Nearly every single one of these countries listed are implicit in the worst human rights violations. Last week I looked at a photo of Ramaphosa, shaking hands with Hemedti, the leader of the RSF militia in Sudan. They have committed outrageous crimes against humanity since April 2023. Including looting villages, burning people alive, rape of women and children. It has been confirmed that they have a human slave market in the capital of Khartoum. Now I ask you, are these people that we, as a country are ok with supporting? Is this a world we want for our children? I don’t know about you but I stand for a world that works toward freedom, democracy, a civil society and a right to free speech and growth toward a better future. Oppression and violence are the direct opposite of that. We can and need to do better. If not for us, then for our future generation. Because from where I stand right now, it’s not looking too good.
A considered response Bridgette… I fear people are too angry or overwhelmed to hear quite how sobering your I put is… I fear there is no future SA…
Great post. Thank you
The ANC is just not able to do anything right. example: this thing in Russia, their support for Hamas, their inability to stop the murder genocide in South Africa, the NHI Bill, Eskom, Post office, Sabc, Transnet and a million others, which means that they will have to take more tax money from the public for that and in doing so, they supply yet less basic services to the people that need it ( i hope at the voting, the people will wake up to this and not vote ANC or EFF.)
Oh my God! The thought of Mbalula coming back with a whole new range of nonsense-speak is too much. Problem with this is that our bunch of corrupt idiots seem to have no sense of either humour or irony! “The Forum aims to promote……compliance with the benevolent non-interference principle” Such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Doesn’t get less benevolent than that.
It seems that much of the world is lurching into authoriatarianism and we’re right there with the baddies!
Interference is not limited to Ukraine, heartbreaking as that is. Interference comes in the form of election rigging, such as in USA and others, the Russian mafia gangsters, corruption all over the world, blackmail through the use of oil and gas, and so on.
In the old days political loudmouth and the like were banished from Moscow to Siberia…… seemingly reversed now and SA should be greatful.
Who is paying though, the Government or Luthuli House?
Seriously, Mr. Coles? Gub’mint business….¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The clown show that is the ANC continues with the chief Clown and enabler of Firepools Fikile “Does Fokkol”Mbalula off to Moscow.
The irony is that the very “Western Neocolonialists” he cries into his Maltabela about are the same ones whose sanctions ended the apartheid regime. Shem there is no cure for stupid and as we know the ANC fellates whoever happens to be paying its debts, be it Hamas or Russia.
The ANC of Mandela has now become a used up Magosha looking for money for favors, how sad.
Hahahaha – this made me smile!
Ethnicity? Not too much democracy in most of the countries attending!
Here we go again. Another ANC out of his depth buffoon going, of all things, to address “western neo-colonialism” with a real mass murderer. The question is who requested this meeting? In my opinion Putin summoned this groveling idiot to demand some favours in return for enabling the miraculous recovery of the ANC’s finances. The ANC will be judged by the company it keeps. Unfortunately ALL South Africans will suffer the consequences this simpleton filled ANC government’s association with dictatorships and one party states as well as religion intolerant countries.
ooohh! I wonder if Ukraine and Georgia and Moldova have been invited? they may have something to say about the forum’s stated principle of “compliance with the benevolent non-interference principle”.
This stuff is straight out of 1984. An anti-colonialist bunfight being held in a country that has been land grabbing along its borders for the last 2o years and is currently in occupation of a third of the biggest one. You couldn’t make this twaddle up without the help of someone talented like John Cleese.
“Driven by our conscience and principles” says Squirrel, how have I not seen any evidence whatsoever of these laudable traits before from him and his gangsters. Usual rogues gallery gathering of dictators, megalomaniacs and thoroughly nasty so called leaders. Are we really going to align ourselves with this scum? All the worst regimes represented in full. When are these clowns going to realise that the west are by far the better economic and social contacts we need to nurture, only problem is they do require diligent, competent and reasonably honest leaders, too much for our clowns to aspire to?
Hopefully Fikile will stay there as he is not doing anything useful in SA other than spewing out ridiculous statements such as load shedding being over by Xmas 2023. Maybe Putin can make him his spokesperson… now there’s a thought.
You couldn’t make this up. Just as we’re trying to tiptoe our way around the US Congress, Mbalula decides to openly give them the middle finger. There are, once again, moves afoot to review the USA’s relations with South Africa (read that as canning our AGOA access and bilateral aid), so what do we do? Go on a 1950s-style puerile parade to Moscow. My guess is that the ANC has burned through the last splodge of wonga Putin gave them, so Fikile’s off there with a large leather couch to stuff some more money into. So they can all splurge on French champagne, German cars, Italian fashion, Japanese and Korean gadgets, American fast food and British whisky!
From one imperial regime, to the other – the Russian Federation is an imperial project as is and will be, I wonder what the thinkers in green, gold and black have valued our neocolonial value to Russia as? The cross-fire in this economic war is bloody already.
Russia: invaded a sovereign country, assassinates political opponents both inside and outside of Russia.
North Korea: dictatorship with mass detentions and nuclear war ambitions.
China: human rights abuses, with a million Uyghur Muslims in detention centers.
Venezuela: a failed state that invaded its neighbour (Guyana) and started an illegal war.
Myanmar: ruled by a military junta, with mass detentions and killing of minorities.
And a bunch of political upstarts with imperial ambitions.
Opposing “Western neocolonialism” is not the same as embracing human rights violators and war criminals. Third World literally used to mean a third way that is neither the West or the East. Whatever happened to African solutions to African problems?
The ANC is dead and the shell is occupied by something else, like some type of Men in Black villain.
I know which one: Edgar the farmer, killed by the giant bug when it landed on Earth looking for the Arquilian Galaxy. Having sucked out Edgar’s innards (for the ANC read morals, conscience and principles) the alien villain then disguises itself in Edgar’s skin (it was a bad fit). Very funny footage. But this is not funny.
What a mob of countries.. Many are dictatorships/borderline dictatorships or socialist/communist with poorly run economies and corrupt governments. This “gang’ of misfits are happy to appoint a the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council to the head of this “committee” for what appears to be a forum to tackle economic and political dominance issues. Are they so blinded by their combined hatred of the West that they cannot realize they are ONLY willing “useful idiots” and pawns been used by the Russians. No doubt behind that scenes China is pulling the strings as well with that country’s fixation with upsetting western dominance in their favor. These ANC cadres fit perfectly into this mob and when the West gives this country the cold shoulder in the future the ANC will cry foul about western abuse. What a bunch of short sighted simply fools playing a very dangerous game considering it was the west and not the east that handed this country on a plate to this ANC liberation movement. Neither China nor Russia nor any of these despot countries will come rushing to aid this country when investment or Western assistance and goodwill disappears and the economy subsequently crashes UNLESS this country is willing to pay a severe price.
What a waste of effort. Fikile is surely going to be out of office after the election in a few months. Does he think that he is a guy of some importance? He most certainly is one of incompetence.
And why is the ANC supporting Russia’s effort of coloniasm?
An idiot meeting a tyrant. What a waste of time and money
Final straw! SA can kiss AGOA goodbye!
Whoever the paymasters of the employer of the fool in the woolly yellow gimp suit are, they’ve decided that AGOA is a gonner and that we (read the cadres) are to be made dependent on their largesse. There is going to be a great deal of hunger in this land before too long and I can only hope that the electorate is able to figure out why bra fiks, pandor, ramasnorer and the rest are able maintain their fabulous figures.
“The informal forum, which will be held from 15-17 February and will be officially launched at the end of March”
Can someone help me understand the logic of this sentence? How can the forum be held in mid-February if it doesn’t open until the end of March?
I note that the entire cabinet uses not one eastern hemisphere vehicle in their blue light cavalcades. Time for a rethink Mr. Mbalula. You simply cannot be seen in any European luxury vehicles.
I find it quite startling/disturbing that this article doesn’t point out any of the hypocrisy of Russia hosting a forum to combat neocolonialism given their murderous and unprovoked invasion and colonising of Ukraine. Sure, the invasion is eventually mentioned but only in passing, and not as something that highlights the utter corruption of the convening.
The forum aims to promote the development of a global political system that would ensure reliable and indivisible security, global stability and justice, compliance with the benevolent non-interference principle, and respect for cultural and civilisational identities…
Wow! The countries participating in this forum are all shining beacons of prosperity, hope, and democracy. Europe and the US don’t have to worry any longer about illegal immigration from the global south and elsewhere because the future for these countries is going to be bright. I think the Western world’s desperate masses will all want to come the global south soon…
The most harrowing part of this article is that Fikile is fraternising with a group that intends to reverse our Bill of Human Rights under the guise of “returning to traditional values”. Those “values” are draconical, and will drive us back into the Middle Ages using religion as a means. In its most simple terms means that the LGTBI+ community will be persecuted again, and most likely will be incarcerated and possibly killed, if the ANC had their way. One way to get rid of Mayor Chris Pappas, and his ilk. How the ANC can attend a conference that at its roots deny our constitution and our Bill of Human Rights, boggles the mind. Not only do they screw up working things, they would prefer us to live in huts, I suppose!
Yet, they are not shy to demand funding from these NeoColonialists when they need it. Such hypocrisy!
And how is this any different to what the west was doing eons ago..?
Yes, Ms. McKrill: eons – EONS! – ago. We have seen the evil of those ways. So, in your ‘whataboutism’, others should walk the same horrific road to finally come to their own conclusion? It’s like learning & knowing about the horror of asbestos, but ignoring the science until enough people are sickened to learn about the horrors of asbestos locally, before actions are taken.
um, that it was eons ago? Tick tick
Can understand the dominance against western interests. But neocolonialism really have the ANC forgotten much of Russia Federation is conquered territory.
The height of irony!
Neocolonialism -defined as the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries. So Russia and China don’t indulge in exactly the same practices ? We are choosing Russia, with a GDP no bigger than Italy, rather than the West, which has huge resources and trade opportunities. Time to leave this country run by idiots.
It reads like a spoof but the ANC is beyond satire at this stage
I don’t like laughing at serious things, but I’m really battling to fight of the urge that has been growing for ten years now.
Have just sent Bra FixFokol a question on his Insta page: ‘Isn’t it embarrassing to be the permanent laughing stock of an entire country?’
I wonder if he will reply?
Our own useful idiot will be attending….
Tragicomedy plays itself out. Dear Minister Mbalula many of us are fully aware of the Western neo-colonialism that is practiced by Mother Russia in a lot of African countries – among them CAR and the DRC – via their licensed enforcers, the mercenary force by the name of the Wagner Group. Active also in the Middle East. Ho hum Mbalula. Wagner gives bribes to poor countries (to their leaders) for massive mining rights. A protection racket. Then again, my mistake – it’s Eastern European, rather than Western, neo-colonialism. Pardon my mistake Mbalula. Viva viva ect.
A true modern day spokesperson in the “mould” of Muhammed Saeed al Sahhaf of Saddam’s regime (remember him?) or alternatively the sadly comparable Mac Maharaj of the Zuma era …clowns – defending the atrocities of corruption and incompetency !
Interesting article but with quite some gaps and questions remaining. Where one ofcourse cannot and should not forget Western colonialism, one should also not forget that Moscow also had its colonial journeys: invasion of Hungary in the 50s, Czechoslovakia in the 60s, Afhnaistan in the 70s for instance. And the USSR wasnt ‘put together’ by handshakes alone. Big nations around the world always try to take control of others by several means. Thats valid for US, China, Russia, UK,… Furthermore the forum will address credit dependence when referencing to the West. Ofcourse we know about Western lenders’ demands (nations and institutions), but lets not forget the loan-payback traps Sri Lanka, Zambia, Kenya,… are facing with their Chinese lenders. And what is this reference about ‘values’ really about? There is similar religious fundamentalist/traditionalism in Trump’s MAGA circles than in countries attending this forum. And also f.i. Cuba was created on a totally different value system than Iran f.i. But having Mbalula representing SA on the global stage is really a positive note. In these dark times it is good we export our Master Clown so everybody can have a laugh at him. The no-backbone-man who loves all (evil) Western cars and fashion, and like to promote (evil) western cultural icons like Beyonce and FC Barcelona (mainly for his own selfies) but he will be in full Stand-Up comedian anti-western rhetoric when he hits the vodka in Moscow.
Will he be using his LV suitcase and wearing his Gucci shoes?
Nothing really left to say here except can we please get rid of this nonsense “Global South” descriptor. The large majority of these countries are north of the equator, certainly all the major players are.
Maybe we can just refer to them all as “The failed ideology grouping”?
Is this Russian Neo-colonialism that they are off to protest against ?
My thought is they are off to check their bank balances and make sure their passwords are up to date.
It takes Naledi Pandor levels of stupidity, arrogANCe and evil to dispatch a secretary general to back Putin a week after the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced, jointly by Republicans & Democrats, into the US Congress requiring “a full review of the bilateral relationship of the United States and South Africa, given South Africa’s recent positioning and coordination with America’s adversaries”.
In simple English, at a time when SA is in danger of being excluded from the export benefits of the African Growth & Opportunities Act [“AGOA”], the ANC adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that our already catastrophic unemployment will increase.
Congress is sure to note that, just after the ANC-in-government supported Putin’s lebensraum genocide in Ukraine, its payroll arrears disappeared (no more SARS claims nor staff pickets outside Looters’ House). Similarly, congresspeople may be aware that a week after a four-year-old campaign banner debt of R102 million plus interest threatening the ANC with liquidation (the sheriff already attaching Looters’ House assets) was suddenly settled, the ANC-in-government launched a Soviet-style show trial at the ICJ.
They may ponder that the “Independent” Electoral Commission, the guardian of the Political Parties Funding Act, seems to have shown no interest in these bonanzas. Or that the Supreme Court of Appeal, in the banners case, found the ANC to be perjurers.
ANC → party before state
#CorruptheidMustFall
Erode “neocolonialism” by supporting the invasion of Ukraine and minerals for investment in Africa. Supporting every country with human rights violations. Backing all the countries without democracies. Hopefully by sending the emptiest vessel to entertain the crowds, Vokolie will be kicked out for disturbing the henchmen! PS. as soon as words such as “neocolonialism” are used, you know it’s a load of rubbish.
Oh Fikile, boet, about all this ‘neocolinialism’, have you given any thought to the cosy relationship you have with China? Cos trust me, they are colonizing Africa as we speak.
And you should know China doesn’t care one iota about Africa or Africans. All they want is access to the continent so they can get agricultural land to grow produce, the bulk of which is shipped back to China and access to mineral resources.
They have 1.4 Billion people back home who the CCP has to keep distracted, fed and placated; lest the populace get antsy about how brutal the regime of ole Xi really is.
They don’t care about Africans but they are putting many African nations into terrible debt via their Belt & Road Initiative.
Africa is being colonized right now by the Chinese. You’d like to believe they see you as equals, but the ANC are just useful idiots for the CCP’s agenda.
Just saying, you may want to look into the Communist Little Red Book to see how you’re being played.
!!