Derry Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Address to Sinn Féin Ard Fheis 2010 by ANC National Chair Baleka Mbete

Published: 7 March, 2010

he National Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, Ms Baleka Mbete, gave a special message of support to the Sinn Féin 2010 Ard Fheis, March 2010. Ms Mbete recalled the strong relations between the ANC and Sinn Féin, born through the trenches of struggle.

She recalled how Irish activists led by Sinn Féin directly participated in the global struggle against apartheid.

Particularly, the similarities between the ANC and Sinn Féin and how they both lost comrades in the course of a struggle for justice and peace.

Ms Mbete emphasised that South Africa would not have been liberated from the yoke of apartheid and colonial oppression without the deliberate and commited actions of activists from Ireland, led by Sinn Féin.

Ms Mbete reaffirmed the ANC's position of supporting Sinn Féin's struggle for a just outcome in the North of Ireland.

She congratulated Sinn Féin on the advances and progress they have made in the peace process in the North of Ireland, particularly the devolution of policing and justice powers away from Britain.

She wished every bit of luck on the outcome of the vote on Tuesday to decide the matter.

Ms Mbete invited Sinn Féin to join the ANC in its celebration of their 100 year anniversary in 2012.

She requested for Irish activists involved in the anti-apartheid movement to provide the ANC with records and memories from the time spent in the anti-apartheid struggle. She stated that the struggle against apartheid was a global struggle for justice, and should be celebrated.

Finally, Ms Mbete called on the Ard Fheis to prioritise the struggle for justice of the Palestinian people, in particular the two-state solution.

She called on Sinn Féin and its 2010 Ard Fheis to put pressure on all roleplayers, in particular, the United States to stop Israel from defying the world.

In her words, the situation in Palestine is "worse than apartheid".