adminCape Town – The ANC yesterday scoffed at reported claims that Britain’s Defence Ministry had been secretly plotting to keep the party in power in South Africa.
News publication VICE reported that information from the British government showed that a group of officials from Britain’s Royal College of Defence Studies visited South Africa last year with their assignment being to “assess the political threats to continuing ANC rule in South Africa”.
A quote from the British government’s paper stated that the officers’ task in South Africa was to “devise a medium term strategy, with concrete deliverables, for the party to retain power at the next general election”.
“I would love to see this report!” ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.
Kodwa stated that he had no idea about the claims contained in the VICE article and asked if the article referred to the UK defence department trying to push the ANC out of government or keep it in. The SA National Defence Force’s Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga also said he was unaware of the claims and, if proven true, the force will stay out of it as it is “above party politics”.
The UK’s Defence Ministry claims that the visit was “purely academic”. VICE reported that the delegation’s activities while in the country last year included a visit to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the offices of British platinum mining company Lonmin. – AFP
derick.khumalo