EFF

EFF to field candidate for Johannesburg Mayor / Photo by: Mark Wessels / various sources / AFP

NAM 2019: Malema to be part of the Pan-African Parliament delegation

Malema will participate in discussions that include trade and political dynamics around the world.

EFF

EFF to field candidate for Johannesburg Mayor / Photo by: Mark Wessels / various sources / AFP

Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is set to be part of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) delegation. The group will be attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The meeting will run for two days from 25 to 26 October 2019. This will be the XVIII (18th) Summit featuring Heads of State and Government.

Minister Pandor to lead SA delegation to NAM

Details of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Twitter/@Inter_ZA

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, is set to lead the South African delegation. The theme for NAM 2019 is “Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world.”

From 21 – 22 October will be a Meeting of Senior Officials and from 23 – 24 October will be the Ministerial Meeting.

The history of the Non-Aligned Movement

EFF’s Julius Malema to take part in the Pan-African Parliament delegation for the Non-Aligned Movement. Photo: Twitter/@EFFSouthAfrica

The NAM forum has “120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.” It is the second largest grouping of states worldwide after the United Nations (UN).

In 1955, certain principles were agreed upon at the Bandung Conference and the NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Its formation was through an initiative by the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.

The purpose of the movement

Its aim is explained as:

“The purpose of the organization was enumerated by Fidel Castro in his Havana Declaration of 1979 as to ensure ‘the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries’ in their ‘struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics.’”

Malema’s NAM participation

Malema will participate in discussions that include trade and political dynamics around the world. EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said:

“Often is the case for international bodies that as much as possible from a diplomatic point of view, it serves us well to speak in one voice, particularly as Africans.

So in this case, the President constituted a delegation on behalf of PAP and that it should be easy taking into consideration a whole range of issues that are common to the continent. It should be easy to speak in one voice.”

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, EFF member