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Zuma accuses West of destabilizing ANC

Xinhua, November 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African President Jacob Zuma on Saturday accused certain Western countries of destabilizing the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

These countries used ANC members to further their agenda, Zuma told ANC supporters at a rally in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province.

Some ANC members have been captured by Western countries, Zuma noted without elaboration.

Western powers want to remove the ANC because they do not want the ANC to develop relations with those countries which helped the party in the anti-apartheid struggle, Zuma said without identifying the Western countries.

Zuma was speaking amid a growing split within the ANC. Some ANC veterans recently joined calls for Zuma to resign, citing his alleged involvement in corruption scandals.

Zuma claimed that those speaking out against him and the ANC had been bought by those clinging on to control of the economy.

"In all other countries, the majority controls everything from politics, economy and defense... It's only in this country (South Africa) where we don't have economic freedom. It's controlled by the minority and those who oppressed us."

"That is why they are scared that we will take away this economy. They want to take away the strength of the ANC because they know the ANC is the only organization trying to balance the scales," Zuma said.

The president also said South Africa would not abandoned those who helped the ANC.

Socialist countries like Russia and China helped the ANC, giving it military training and aid during the anti-apartheid struggle, Zuma said.

"The socialist countries came to our aid. It was Russia who trained us and helped us with the tools to fight. China and other socialist countries helped us," said Zuma.

He said Western countries dislike South Africa after it joined the BRICS, an acronym for emerging economies-- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"They are fighting us because we joined BRICS. Some are in ANC gear but are in the company of the West. We are at war. We are going to protect the ANC," he said.

In Zuma's eyes, BRICS had interfered with the global balance of forces, and Western countries "did not like BRICS." Endit