ANC gags Bapela, wants clarity on his alleged call for intensified economic ties with Morocco
Obed Bapela, who is the deputy chairperson of the party’s international relations sub-committee, is accused of misrepresenting both himself and the ANC's stance on Morocco.
FILE: Obed Bapela. Picture: Thomas Holder/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) has reaffirmed its stance on Western Sahara as it asks Obed Bapela to clarify claims that he’s called for intensified economic ties with Morocco.
Bapela, who is the deputy chairperson of the party’s international relations sub-committee, is accused of misrepresenting both himself and the ANC's stance on Morocco.
It's understood that Bapela, though claiming it was a family trip, presented himself as part of an official ANC delegation.
Committee chair, Nomvula Mokonyane, has labelled this as a serious violation of party principles and policies.
The ANC has consistently called for the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
The ANC has gagged Bapela from engaging officially on behalf of the party and government.
It said it was gravely concerned by his alleged remarks calling for intensified economic ties with Morocco.
Bapela's also received a scathing letter from Mokonyane, the chairperson of the international relations subcommittee, over his supposed violation of the ANC's long-standing position on the occupation of Western Sahara.
While he's banned from speaking on behalf of the organisation with immediate effect, Bapela has been asked to provide clarity on the trip and comments attributed to him.