This follows a recent meeting between former President Jacob Zuma and Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister in Rabat.
Zuma, who now leads the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe Party, was pictured alongside Moroccan officials with the SA flag prominently displayed.
DIRCO says the use of official symbols in this context wrongly implies government endorsement and state-level diplomacy, which it insists is not the case.
“SA has indicated to the Kingdom of Morocco that the display of national symbols inherently conveys official state endorsement and elevates the perception of the encounter to that of a State-to-State engagement,” said DIRCO Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.
“This characterisation is inconsistent with established diplomatic protocol, as the participants did not represent the official positions or engagements of the SA State.”
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
