FRIDAY, 4.00PM:
THE African National Congress today offered its warmest congratulations to the British Labour Party and its leader Tony Blair for their landslide victory in the UK parliamentary elections.
“The scale of the victory is indeed very rare in democracies today,” the party said in a statement. The ANC said it believes the victory strengthens “those international forces fighting for a just and equitable world order” and also reinforces international solidarity with the countries of the Third World and Africa in particular. “Historically, the British Labour Party has been the most consistent supporter of the struggle against apartheid and the ANC in particular.”
“Once again we extend our gratitude to the British Labour Party and the people of their country for their unflinching support for the process of transformation in our country.”
The party expressed the hope that now that both the ANC and the Labour Party are leaders of governments in their respective countries, relations between the two countries, parties and peoples will be strengthened even further. “We look forward to these new relations in the best interests of our two countries and their people,” the ANC statement said.