South African Parties Divided Over US Military Strike in Venezuela

South African Parties Clash Over US Intervention in Venezuela

South Africa is watching global headlines with heightened interest and political division after the United States executed a bold military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, announced by US President Donald Trump on 3 January, has sparked a rare and public clash among parties within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU).

ANC Condemns, FF+ Praises

The African National Congress (ANC), leading the GNU and represented in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), condemned the US strike as a breach of international law. DIRCO’s statement said the actions “manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations,” reiterating South Africa’s long-standing position supporting sovereignty and non-intervention.

Yet within the GNU, not everyone is singing the same tune. Dr Corné Mulder, leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), took to social media platform X to sharply counter the ANC’s position. He argued that the US operation should be seen as a justified response to the failures of Venezuela’s socialist government.

“It will be done in all of our names, but it will not represent our views. The end of the socialist failure in Venezuela should be welcomed,” Mulder wrote, citing the 2019 indictments of Maduro and his wife on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

His stance drew swift criticism from Deputy Minister in the Presidency and ANC member Nonceba Mhlauli, who emphasized that GNU members are bound by collective responsibility:

“ONE president, ONE government, ONE line of march,” she said, insisting that Mulder should align with official government statements.

DA Urges Caution

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) avoided taking sides, instead urging politicians to exercise caution on social media. DA spokesperson Jan De Villiers warned that reckless online statements could harm South Africa’s diplomatic credibility:

“South Africa’s foreign policy must be genuinely non-aligned and in the national interest. Officials must behave responsibly and with credibility.”

Opposition Parties Cry Foul

Beyond the GNU, the tone is more severe. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemned the US action as the “most blatant act of imperial aggression in the Western Hemisphere in decades,” drawing parallels with past interventions in Panama, Congo, and Iraq.

“These incidents are a clear pattern of imperial violence against leaders who resist Western domination,” the party said, warning that South Africa could be next if the world stays silent.

Similarly, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party denounced the raid as a form of “new colonialism,” rejecting claims that the operation was a legitimate law enforcement effort or anti-narcotics measure. The MK Party framed the attack as an example of militarized coercion serving resource control and imperial interests.

Social Media Reacts

South African users on platforms like X and Facebook are divided. Many ANC supporters echoed DIRCO’s condemnation, framing the US as violating international norms, while some FF+ followers praised Trump’s decisiveness and called for similar action against failing socialist regimes worldwide. Opposition voices amplified warnings that continued US interventions in sovereign nations set dangerous precedents, potentially affecting Africa in the future.

A Test for South Africa’s GNU

The US operation in Venezuela has placed the GNU under a spotlight, exposing the challenges of maintaining a unified foreign policy in a coalition government. Analysts say the incident illustrates the tension between South Africa’s principle of non-alignment and political opportunism from coalition partners seeking to appeal to their bases.

Prof Theo Neethling, a political analyst at the University of Free State, notes:

“The GNU is a balancing act. Incidents like this force parties to publicly take positions that may contradict the official line, revealing fault lines in policy cohesion.”

What Comes Next

As Maduro faces trial in New York for narco-terrorism charges, the international focus on Venezuela will intensify. For South Africa, the diplomatic tightrope continues: upholding international law, protecting sovereign principles, and managing internal political discord, all under the watchful eyes of a global audience.

{Source: Newsday}

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