Question NW2562 to the President of the Republic
09 October 2017 - NW2562
Kwankwa, Mr NL to ask the President of the Republic
(1) What is the position of the Government of South Africa with regard to the resolutions taken at the 28th African Union (AU) Summit held in January 2017 to (a) re-admit Morocco to the AU, although this was in violation of the Constitutive Act of the AU and (b) adopt the Kagame Report on AU Reform without it having been discussed by member states prior to the specified summit; (2) whether the Government supported the adoption of the Kagame Report; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2822E
Reply:
The Government of South Africa accepts the outcome of the Summit on the admission of Morocco to promote unity and coherence within the Continent. Member states expressed strong views that by virtue of acceding to the Constitutive Act, Morocco should abide by all provisions of the Act and immediately resolve its relations with the Western Sahara to ensure territorial integrity between the two nations. South Africa also supports the Summit’s decision that the African Union should prioritise the resolution of the impasse between the two countries to change the status quo, failing which the principles on which the African Union was constituted, as articulated in the Constitutive Act, would be undermined. We fully support the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.
South Africa supports the adoption of the Kagame Report as its general thrust seeks to strengthen the African Union (AU) and improve its functioning and effectiveness. South Africa will continue to safeguard the values of the AU Constitutive Act, and in this regard will continue to engage in AU discussions on the implementation of the report in a sustainable manner.