South Africa’s flirtation with China went into overdrive this week when a high-powered ANC delegation, led by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, quietly flew to Beijing to cement ties with the Asian economic giant and its ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The trip, which the party has not made public, comes in the same week that the government failed to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, who was to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday in Cape Town in Friday, and while the world scorns the state’s mishandling of the visa saga.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe also spent a few days in Beijing recently, cutting business deals with the Chinese. China is South Africa’s biggest trading partner and the delay in issuing the Dalai Lama a visa is seen as Pretoria’s dancing to the tune of the Chinese, who are investing billions into the country.
The Sunday Independent has established that Mantashe’s ANC delegation includes Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and some provincial secretaries.
They flew out of the country on Tuesday, the same day that the Dalai Lama withdrew his visa application. They are scheduled to return to South Africa on October 20.
A number of ANC leaders confirmed that Mantashe – who could not be reached for comment on Friday – led a 16-member ANC delegation to China for what some called “political education”, but others said this was a move to “strengthen party to party political ties”.
“This is the last group of the National Executive Committee (NEC) that is supposed to go there. They will meet everybody in China. It is a powerful team,” one ANC leader said.
The leader said the issue of the Dalai Lama was a government matter, not an ANC matter.
The delegation is expected to meet Hu Jintao, the head of the People’s Republic of China and the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Hu is credited for turning China into the world’s major power as a result of a decade of consistent economic growth.
The Dalai Lama’s withdrawal of his visa application prompted Tutu to condemn the ANC, saying on Wednesday that the ANC government was “disgraceful” and “worse than the apartheid government”.
Speaking to Tutu via a video link yesterday, the Dalai Lama accused China’s leaders of creating a climate of fear, lies and censorship.
“You and me are trying to make clear what is the reality. The Chinese people should have the right to know reality… Censorship is immoral… Transparency is very essential.”
He said the Chinese judicial system was “still a very, very low instrument” that must be raised up to international standards.
The Dalai Lama cancelled his planned trip to the birthday party after South Africa failed to provide him with a visa on time.
The government is widely believed to have frustrated the visit for fear of straining trade ties with China, which has branded the Dalai Lama a separatist and discourages foreign nations from hosting him.
The often light-hearted conversation with Tutu replaced an inaugural peace lecture the Dalai Lama would have delivered at the University of the Western Cape on compassion as catalyst for change.
Gauteng ANC secretary David Makhura and Sihle Zikalala, his KwaZulu-Natal counterpart, are set to join Mantashe later this week.
Northern Cape secretary Zamani Saul will join the delegation on October 17 as he is busy with his studies, while Songezo Mjongile, the Western Cape secretary, will not join them as he is getting married at the end of the month.
Free State secretary Sibongile Besani and ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu could not be reached for comment yesterday. – Moffet Mofokeng additional reporting by Sapa