South Africa’s ruling party sent a delegation to South Sudan today to strengthen ties with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

Deputy Secretary-General Anne Itto received the visitors at noon at Juba Airport, saying “SPLM and ANC have been brothers and sisters for a very long time.”

The ANC delegation was led by Cyril Ramaphosa, the party’s deputy president and chairman of MTN Group Ltd., Africa’s biggest mobile-phone company.

He was accompanied by Collins Chabane, minister in the presidency, among others.

“We have been sent by our president Jacob Zuma, the president of the African National Congress in South Africa, to deepen and broaden the relationship between the ANC and the SPLM.  This is a relationship that has its roots in struggle. Over many years we have been joined at the hip in struggle,” said Ramaphosa.

According to Itto, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding about five years ago. This document will apparently serve as the basis for some discussion.

“This relationship is actually meant to benefit both the party, but also government-to-government relationship,” the SPLM official noted. 

Photo: ANC Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa