AS IT IS 2016-05-18 ANC Accuses US of Undermining Mandela

AS IT IS 2016-05-18 ANC Accuses US of Undermining Mandela

The spokesman for South Africa’s ruling party has accused the United States of trying to “undermine” his country’s democratically elected government.

Yet representatives from both countries dismissed the comment and say the relationship between the two sides is strong.

The accusation² came from African National Congress spokesman Zizi Kodwa. He spoke¹ after publication of a story in Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper. The story said that, in 1962, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency helped South Africa’s government arrest Nelson Mandela.

The newspaper published statements by a retired³ CIA officer, who is now dead. The former officer reportedly said the U.S. considered Mandela a supporter of communism.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his opposition⁴ to South Africa’s apartheid government and its racist⁵ policies. During this period, blacks and people from other racial groups did not have the same rights as whites. Under apartheid, whites were required to separate from other races.

Mandela was in prison from 1962 until 1990. He was elected South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule.

ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the CIA claim is “a serious indictment⁶.” He added that the intelligence agency still operates in South Africa.

"We have recently observed that there are efforts to undermine the … ANC government," Kodwa told local media. "They [the C.I.A.] never stopped operating here.… It is still happening now. The C.I.A. is still [working] with those who want regime change."

Kodwa did not respond to numerous calls from VOA seeking comment on Monday.

‘Those are not our views’

But South Africa’s Foreign Ministry⁷ dismissed Kodwa’s earlier claims.

“Those are not our views,” government spokesman Clayson Monyela told VOA. “From government’s point of view, our relations with the United States are strong. They are warm and cordial,” he added.

The two nations are also major trading partners, with trade totaling about $21 billion, according to U.S. government reports.

That relationship was threatened last year when the U.S. and South African governments nearly failed to settle trade issues. The situation led President Barack Obama to threaten to stop South Africa’s membership in a U.S. trade agreement. That agreement lets South Africa export products to the U.S. duty-free.

In the past, the two nations have also traded strong words. In February, the secretary-general of the ANC accused the U.S. government of supporting a regime change. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa rejected the claim.

A U.S. Embassy official said the embassy has no information on reported CIA operations in South Africa in the 1960s.

Words in This Story

allegedly – adv. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

communism – n. a way of organizing a society in which the government owns the things that are used to make and transport products such as land, oil, factories and ships and there is no privately-owned property

apartheid – n. a former social system in South Africa in which black people and people from other racial groups did not have the same political and economic rights as white people and were forced to live separately from white people

indictment – n. an expression or statement of strong disapproval⁸

undermine – v. to make something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way

spokesman – n. someone who speaks for or represents a person or a company

cordial – adj. politely pleasant and friendly

duty-free – adj. selling goods that will not be taxed when taken into another country

regime – n. a form of government

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

6 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。