ANC not involved in BRICS summit invitations - Mbalula
African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the ANC is not involved in the invitation of guests for the BRICS Summit.
Mbalula's remarks come after EFF leader, Julius Malema accused the ruling party of "political intolerance" and "childishness" for diverting the invitation of the EFF leadership to the summit.
Malema briefed the media on Thursday where he reiterated that the EFF would welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin to South Africa during the summit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to make the announcement on whether or not Putin will be attending the summit.
South Africa is set to host the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China at the 15th BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August.
Mbalula was briefing the media on the sidelines of the ANC's national executive committee meeting on Friday
"We have no business with the EFF in relation to BRICS as the ANC, next week the ANC will convene BRICS Political Dialogue Summit, there we have China communist party, we have fraternal parties across not governments.
That meeting is convened by the ANC, it's got nothing to do with the EFF.
There is then what is called the Head of State BRICS Summit in August convened by the government, I represent the ANC, but I have not received an invitation to that summit,” he adds.
"We don't know whether political parties will be invited either in the opening, closure or in the middle, we don't know, the government is convening that we have got nothing to do with that as the ANC.”
“If EFF and Julius are invited, we have got no right to stand against that invitation or political parties if they are invited, that will be the call of the South African government," says Mbalula.
Mbalula also confirmed that the ANC will be hosting BRICS Political Dialogue Summit from 18 - 20 July at Birchwood, Ekurhuleni.
For this dialogue, the EFF is not invited.
"As the SG of the ANC, I have issued invites on behalf of the ANC to BRICS plus fraternal political parties we work with, I have got no letter that I signed inviting South African political parties except those we work with, communist party, Cosatu, our allies, the youth, the students, we've invited them.
EFF and Julius are not invited. If they want to organise their own, they can organise... but this one is the ANC's," he adds.
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