Non-ANC GNU members cry foul after exclusion from BRICS Summit delegation
Members of his Cabinet supporting him on this trip include Ronald Lamola, Khumbudzu Ntshaveni, Parks Tau and Angie Motshekga.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation during the plenary session at the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan, in the Russian Federation. The President delivered the Country Statement during the session on 23 Ocotber 2024. Picture: Supplied/The Presidency on X
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office says suggestions that non-African National Congress ministers were left out of his BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) trip this week are both petty and childish
The president is in Russia attending the 16th annual BRICS Summit
Members of his Cabinet supporting him on this trip include Ronald Lamola, Khumbudzu Ntshaveni, Parks Tau, and Angie Motshekga.
These are the ministers of International Relations, The Presidency, Trade and Industry, and the SA National Defence - in the order wherein they are listed above.
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The president’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says talk that only ANC ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU) were picked for the trip are baseless.
None of the GNU ministers outside of the ANC are part of Ramaphosa's current trip to Russia.
His office says ministers on this trip were invited based on the BRICS Summit’s programme and agenda.
Magwenya says it's petty and childish to suggest ministers were selected based on their party membership.
He reiterated that ministerial travel is not an entitled benefit but is work-related, adding that due to costs - such trips must be carefully managed
Notably, Justice Minister Thembi Nkadimeng – who was in Russia leading up to the summit – is also not part of the BRICS delegation.