ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, party national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, and first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane after meeting the president of Brazil. Picture: Kamogelo Moichela
ANC NATIONAL chairperson Gwede Mantashe emphasised the need to learn from how Brazil has managed to deal effectively with coalitions to run government affairs despite not having a majority party.
"We drew important lessons on how they manage the question of coalitions because there is no party that is a majority party," said Mantashe.
This comes after the ANC delegation led by Mantashe met with the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS summit taking place in Johannesburg from Tuesday until Thursday.
The meeting focused on existing political ties between the ANC and Brazil’s Workers Party, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
Addressing the media, Mantashe said their priority when they called in for investment was on poverty and unemployment to promote economic development in the country.
Adding to the chairperson’s comments, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said their engagement was based on a mutual understanding that they needed to build parties to fight imperialism.
"We reiterate our gratitude for the presence of the Brazilian delegation here and for making time to meet us during this hectic programme of the BRICS summit.
"We need to build stronger progressive parties on our respective continents against imperialism and its agenda to subjugate our national and regional interests to those of the Western world," said Mbalula.
He added that BRICS would be a stronger platform to foster an alternative world based on multipolarity and multilateralism.
"We believe that our countries can benefit from both party-to-party relations as well as economic trade," he said.