…Backs Autonomy Plan

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, has thrown its weight behind Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, voicing strong support for the kingdom’s autonomy plan as a viable solution to the long-standing territorial dispute.

In a statement issued after recent talks with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Zuma said the MK Party believes Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal provides substantial local governance for the people of the Sahara region while maintaining Moroccan sovereignty.

“Our party recognises the historical and legal context that underpins Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara,” Zuma said. “Morocco’s efforts to reclaim its full territorial integrity align with the MK Party’s commitment to preserving the sovereignty and unity of African states.”

Zuma noted that the MK Party’s position aligns with that of major global powers—including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain—who have all expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative.

He stressed that the proposal presents a balanced path to regional peace and development, and urged the international community to rally behind it as a credible framework for lasting stability in the Sahara region.

Zuma also referenced the MK Party’s new policy document titled “Strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation, and Territorial Integrity,” which affirms the Sahara’s historical ties to Morocco. The document argues that the region was part of Morocco long before Spanish colonisation in the late 19th century, citing tribal allegiance to the Moroccan throne as evidence of pre-colonial sovereignty.

It also describes the 1975 Green March—a peaceful demonstration by over 350,000 unarmed Moroccans entering the Sahara to assert the country’s claim—as “a unique and non-violent liberation movement” and “an act of decolonisation.”

Zuma’s support for Morocco’s position builds on diplomatic engagements dating back to 2017, when he met with King Mohammed VI on the sidelines of the AU–EU Summit in Côte d’Ivoire—a meeting that helped reset bilateral relations between South Africa and Morocco.

With this endorsement, the MK Party joins a growing list of African and international voices backing Morocco’s autonomy plan as a path to resolve one of the continent’s most enduring geopolitical disputes.