MPLA and South Africa’s ANC strengthen cooperation ties

 Cape Town - The vice-president of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party, Luísa Damião, highlighted Monday the historical and cooperation ties it shares with South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Speaking to the press after a meeting with the ANC leader, Geraldine Moleketi, the vice-president of Angola’s ruling MPLA underlined the fact that the two political forces defend the same ideals.

The Angolan politician underlined that the ideals of peace, development and social justice dominated the gathering held in Cape Town, South Africa, an encounter that took place  on the fringes of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

 

“We have just had a meeting with a sister party, the ANC, with which we have long-standing historical ties", said the MPLA vice-president.

 

"The liberation history of South Africa has the support of the MPLA. We thank the vice-president for coming, personally, once again to our country", Geraldine Moleketi stressed.

 

She recalled that the historical relations between the MPLA and ANC date back to the time of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto.

 

The meeting also counted on the presence of other ANC members namely, Yonda Maverula, of the International Relations Committee, and Eddy Maloca, of the continental secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

 

MPLA's strategic role

 

The Deputy Speaker of South Africa Parliament, Solomon Leeches Tsenoli, added  that the MPLA will play an important role in the mechanism, for being a party with history in the region.

 

To the South African politician, the MPLA will be able to assist as a peace facilitator and in the internal and external dynamism of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

 

The event, which runs until Tuesday in Cape Town, brings together several African political parties.

 

The African Peer Review Mechanism is an instrument set up by the African Union in 2003, consisting of 36 countries, to assess member countries on democracy and governance.