BY SAFTU – this statement was first published by SAFTU: summary below by Vuka.news
Condemnation of Upcoming Democracy Conference: SAFTU criticizes South African organizations (Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, Defend our Democracy) for supporting a United States of America (US)-backed democracy conference (Nov 20-22, Johannesburg), organized by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). NED is viewed as a U.S. imperialist tool that threatens South African sovereignty.
Call for Withdrawal: MISTRA (Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection) withdrew from hosting. SAFTU urges other local groups and South African keynote speakers (Mathews Phosa, Roelf Meyer, Mbali Ntuli) to withdraw.
Concerns Over Keynote Speakers’ Backgrounds: Mathews Phosa: Connected to corrupt dealings and Israeli-linked arms trade, Roelf Meyer: Former apartheid-era negotiator seen as blocking economic democracy, and Mbali Ntuli: former Democratic Alliance member, representing privileged elite interests.
Context of U.S. Politics: The conference follows the election of a U.S. government SAFTU labels “fascistic” and led by Donald Trump, viewed as supportive of Israeli actions against Palestinians. SAFTU highlights inconsistencies in U.S. democracy, such as the Electoral College system and voter suppression against African Americans.
NED’s Origins and Imperial Role: It was established in 1983 to continue the CIA’s covert global influence operations more openly. SAFTU argues NED operates globally to advance U.S. interests by funding media, business groups, and “civil society” to align with American policy.
U.S. Interference and Overthrows: SAFTU lists numerous instances of CIA involvement in foreign government overthrows (1945-2014), indicating a long history of undermining other nations’ sovereignty to favour U.S. interests.
NED’s Function in South Africa: SAFTU claims NED is in South Africa to monitor and influence public opinion, potentially undermining South African democracy in favor of U.S. objectives.
SAFTU’s Call for Resistance: Urges South Africans to reject NED’s influence and to not attend the conference. Calls for “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions” against U.S. imperialism and its initiatives, as South Africans do with Israel.
Consequences of Aligning with NED: SAFTU warns local organizations supporting NED risk losing public trust and betraying South African values of genuine democracy. Suggests they could redeem themselves by denouncing NED and the upcoming conference.
Broader Global Call to Reject U.S. Imperialism: SAFTU foresees global resistance to Trump’s policies, predicting trade wars and U.S. retaliations, especially towards countries like South Africa. Concludes with a strong stance: South Africa and the world should reject Trump’s “proto-fascist” approach to democracy and U.S. imperialism.
