Former South African President Jacob Zuma is facing backlash from his country's Foreign Ministry after expressing support for Morocco's Sahara autonomy plan during a July visit to Rabat as leader of the MK party. South Africa's DIRCO condemned the use of national symbols during Zuma's meeting with Moroccan officials, calling it a misrepresentation of official state positions and demanding Morocco refrain from such actions. Former South African President Jacob Zuma is once again under scrutiny following his July visit to Morocco in his capacity as leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. After criticism from political parties, including South Africa's ruling ANC, Zuma is now being rebuked by the country's Foreign Ministry. In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 6, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)—South Africa's ministry in charge of foreign affairs—said it «has registered its strong objection and concern regarding circumstances around the recent visit of an eminent South African leader», referring to Zuma. DIRCO specifically referenced the meeting held in Rabat on July 15 with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, stating that on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, it «protests the use of South African national symbols, in this instance the use of the South African National Flag», during the meeting between Bourita and Zuma. During that same meeting, Zuma expressed support for Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan for the Sahara. The statement further clarified that «Whilst recognising we respect the sovereign right of Morocco to invite individuals and groups», DIRCO informed Morocco that «the display of national symbols inherently conveys official state endorsement and elevates the perception of the encounter to that of a state-to-state engagement». «This characterisation is inconsistent with established diplomatic protocol, as the participants did not represent the official positions or engagements of the South African state», it added. Without referring to the Sahara conflict or the autonomy plan, the department emphasized that «this portrayal cannot be recognized as an official bilateral meeting, and the implications drawn from it are firmly rejected». South Africa says use of national flag implies official state endorsement DIRCO also called the use of its national symbols in settings that imply official state endorsement of non-governmental engagements «inappropriate, irrespective of setting», and urged Morocco to «refrain from such actions». This reaction follows demands from the ANC for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a formal diplomatic protest to Morocco and request immediate clarification and an official apology for the use of the South African flag during the meeting with Zuma. Led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC has strongly denounced Zuma's support for Morocco's autonomy plan. Other political leaders, including the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), also condemned Zuma's stance, calling him a «sellout». The Polisario Front, for its part, reacted through its former «ambassador» to South Africa, Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, who said the group would not publicly criticize the former president unless they met and heard from him directly, citing his old age and long-standing support. It is worth noting that in Rabat, Zuma described Morocco's autonomy plan as «a meaningful framework for local governance that also upholds Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara». The visit came just weeks after the MK party, founded in December 2023 and now the third-largest political force in South Africa's National Assembly, officially recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara.
