Why Da Sent Delegation To Meet Trump Administration: Helen Zille

Democratic Alliance DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille says her party sent a delegation to the US recently to provide an alternative perspective to that of the African National Congress ANC.

A delegation led by DAs spokesperson for international relations and cooperation, Emma Louise Powell, had a week-long working visit in Washington in early March.

During the visit, the DA engaged with key decision-makers across Congress, the State Department and the White House, Louise said afterwards.

Addressing the seventh BizNews Conference on Monday 17 March, Zille claimed the ANC was obsessed with retaining the international relations portfolio during negotiations to form the government of national unity GNU.

There is far more that goes on behind the veil of that portfolio than is publicly acknowledged, she claimed.

Zille painted a picture of a potential global geopolitical crisis, citing US President Donald Trumps unpredictability, a possible future war between Europe and Russia, and an escalating Middle East conflict.

If South Africa is to chart a course in these perilous waters, it is obvious that we cannot sit back and allow the ANC to drive our foreign policy in its own party interest, she said.

The stakes, simply put, are far too high. That is why the DA sent its own delegation to Washington recently where we had meetings at a very senior level to ensure that we keep the channels of communication open and provide an alternative perspective to that beamed to the world from Luthuli House.

We have to, because the ANC is absolutely determined to keep us out of foreign policy which we believe will have profoundly negative consequences for South Africa, as it already has.

Zille vowed that this will not be the last DA delegation sent abroad to fight South Africas corner while the ANC promotes its own partys interest over South Africas.