Govt doesn't need permission

2008-05-11 21:03

Cape Town - The South African government does not have to seek permission from the new African National Congress leadership before entering into international agreements, said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Sunday.

Briefing the media in Cape Town after a three nation ministerial meeting comprising South Africa, Brazil and India (IBSA), Dlamini-Zuma said there was no need to seek permission as government was pursuing the same policies agreed to by the ANC policy conference in Polokwane.

"There is no need since there is no diversion from what was agreed on at the ANC policy conference and what government is doing," she said.

Launched in 2003, IBSA is a forum through which the three governments pursue close trade, political and economic ties - it would continue doing business as usual, she said.

'No contradiction'

Asked whether the fact that the present ANC leadership had questioned the government approach, particularly its quiet diplomacy towards the Zimbabwean government, was not proof of conflicting views, Dlamini-Zuma insisted there was no contradiction between the two powers.

ANC president Jacob Zuma, on a few occasions, has criticised the Zimbabwean government attitude and approach - contradicting South African president Thabo Mbeki's quiet diplomacy.

"Quiet diplomacy does not mean if you see something wrong you should keep quiet," Dlamini-Zuma.

She said the IBSA meeting had among other things touched on multilateral issues including global governance, millennium development goals and regional political issues of importance.

- SAPA