Cape Town – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says progress has been made in the South Sudan peace talks that South Africa was part of and that there could be a possible breakthrough soon.
The Deputy President said this when responding to questions for oral reply at the National Assembly in Cape Town on Wednesday.
ANC MP Honourable Bhekiziswe Radebe had asked the Deputy President about the outcomes of his working visit to South Sudan on 29 October 2014, where he was tasked with facilitating peace talks between three factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“Earlier this year, the SPLM factions were able to reach a reunification agreement which provides that the SPLM will be reunited and those who are either in Kenya and those that are in Ethiopia and those in other parts of South Sudan will get together in Juba [South Sudan’s capital city] with a view of ensuring that the SPLM is once more united.
“At a governmental level, as we speak now, the various components of the SPLM are involved in discussions … are trying to finalise a deal that could possibly lead to a major breakthrough.
“The whole process is a process in which South Africa has been involved in,” he said.
The Deputy President was sent to South Sudan as a special envoy to facilitate talks at both political party level alongside Chama-cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania and National Resistance Movement of Uganda.
A cease-fire deal between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel commander Riek Machar, being discussed at both political party and intra-governmental levels, was seen as a bid to end a 15-month conflict that has left thousands of people dead.
Both talks have run parallel to each other.
The Deputy President said the two processes were both important as they were meant to bring about peace in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, Honourable Mmusi Maimane, the leader of opposition party DA, asked the Deputy President if he had been made aware of the use of signal jammers or additional security measures at the National Assembly chambers when President Jacob Zuma delivered his State of the Nation Address on February 12 this year.
The Deputy President said incidents that emanated on the day were before the courts, and that he would be able to answer the questions once the court processes have been concluded.
“I have been reliably informed that hearings in relation to these two matters will be heard in courts over the next few days and for that reason I feel constrained to answer the question because the matters are before the courts.
“I would like to state as a matter of principle, in parliament, I believe that it is correct that we should have a free flow of information and that the incident that occurred here as the President said as well should not be allowed and that it should not happen again,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
