South African President Jacob Zuma says his country cannot interfere in Zambia’s politics because they do not affect bilateral relations.

He was responding to a question from Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane who wanted to know what his position was on what happened his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema in Parliament today.

President Zuma said it was that country’s policy not to participate in other countries politics.

“The first thing as I was discussing is we are dealing with the relations of the countries globally. These are basically relations between countries and also the relations that are defined in the multi-lateral institutions. Now what I said here and I was very clear is we do not interfere in the politics of countries, we don’t! That’s our policy, we don’t. These countries do whatever they do. As I said it depends if it is a kind of an action that interferes with the flow of the relations in terms of the global, or continental of the bilateral,” said President Zuma.

“So if these countries get into problems, we are not an opposition in Zambia, we can’t go there and participate in either sides because if the leader of the opposition in Zambia, if he wins elections, [he] will lead to that party as a government and if they have got particular views about the opposition, we are not going to get them discuss matters of Zambia nor the matters of any country. We are very careful on how we conduct our foreign policy. We create relations with, we don’t interfere in the domestic affairs of countries, I thank you madam speaker.”

HH was sitting in the gallery during President Zuma’s address to Parliament.