FRIDAY BRIEFING | Code red? SA lost in translation in Russia-Ukraine crisis

Code red? SA lost in translation in Russia-Ukraine crisis 

On Tuesday, News24 took the hardline in an editorial on the Russian foreign minister meeting with his counterpart Naledi Pandor in Pretoria, describing the hosting of Sergey Lavrov as shameful. South Africa also plans to take part in military drills with China and Russia on what will be the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Russia has been engaged in conflict with Ukraine for the past 11 months. In an address, after sending troops in Ukraine last year February, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Russian civilians his goal was to "demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine". Putin also does not want Ukraine to join Nato, as he fears this would encroach too closely on Russian territory.

South Africa has constantly said it has taken a non-aligned position with regard to the conflict. 

However, Lavrov's visit sparked much controversy, with some taking a similar stance as the News24 editorial, saying the apparent fawning at the feet of the Russians would carry high costs. While others questioned why there hadn't been similar criticism to the visit of United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who arrived after Lavrov. South Africa took part in military drills with the United States in 2013 in the Eastern Cape, while the US was still occupying Afghanistan. 

Is the current criticism of South Africa's foreign policy with regards to the Russia-Ukraine conflict appropriate? We tackle the issue in this week's Friday Briefing. 

Steven Gruzd from the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg examines how many times South Africa has said it is neutral on the matter but then gives the wrong impression by indicating it will take part in war games with Russia. He writes that there may well be serious consequences for the country, in the form of diminished trade, withheld investment and diplomatic pressure for agreeing to participate. 

Ronnie Kasrils, who is the country's former intelligence minister, takes a different stance. He is of the view that it is simplistic to presume that Soviet-era ties explain the present South African government's position following the collapse of the Soviet Union or, for that matter, the many African states, including South Africa, that refuse to vote with the West’s sanctions regime. He argues that South Africa shares a common position with Russia - for reform of the UN system, for multilateralism, for economic growth of the global south, against Western imperialist hegemony and their hundreds of military bases enforcing their domination throughout the world at the expense of the choice and rights of other countries. 

University of Johannesburg's Professor Siphamandla Zondi shares similar views to Kasrils. He argues that it is unfair that South Africa has been listed as part of the "axis of evil" for refusing to kowtow to the West's stance. He further writes that Pandor has said loudly and clearly all along that South Africa is pushing for a peaceful resolution of the war - except no-one has been listening. 

We've also included the News24 editorial mentioned earlier in this edition along with the column by Howard Feldman, which were both published earlier this week. 

We hope you enjoy the debate and we are interested to hear your views. Email us at opinions@news24.com. 

Best, 

Vanessa Banton

Opinions editor.