U.S. pursues regime change agenda in S. Africa: ruling party

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) says that the U.S. is pursuing a regime change agenda in South Africa via youth training.

"We have observed attempts by imperialist to destabilize not just South Africa but the sub region. They have taken about 45 young people to America to train them as part of their leadership program. What we got from those young people is not what they expected; they were trained about destabilizing the country and regime change," ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

He said that at a certain point, the party would let the students, who were trained in the U.S., speak to the media.

"Many of them, when they came back, were distributed in the higher institutions of learning. They came to us and said: 'we suspect what we attended in America is not what we want'," said Kodwa.

The U.S. has through its website insisted the students were part of a program where young Africans were trained over peace and security promotions in the continent and democratic governance.

Kodwa said the U.S. wanted to replace the ANC "with whatever thing that is not ANC because the party remains an opposition to the imperialist agenda."

Kodwa said they were taking the issue seriously and would engage the U.S. government over it.

"We are engaging through the diplomatic channels with America that we have picked its agenda to destabilize South Africa," he said.

South Africa has since last year seen waves of protests by university students, which the ANC said were led by a "third force".

While addressing an anti-racism march in the capital Pretoria last month, ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, accused the U.S. embassy in South Africa of holding meetings aimed at "regime change" in the country.

The U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Patrick Gaspard, later responded on his twitter account dismissing the ANC claims.

"I wish that someone would invite me to these meetings. Let's not blame others for our own challenges," Gaspard tweeted. Endit