Since the Russian-Ukraine conflict erupted due to Russia’s invasion of the former soviet-state, South Africa has offered mixed and conflicting responses in terms of our position and relation to the conflict. At an executive level, president Ramaphosa called for mediation.
However, when it came to the United Nations General Assembly resolution vote which called for Russia to remove its troops, South Africa was one of the minority states that abstained from voting. At a provincial level, the Western Cape Provincial Party has actively shown solidarity with Ukraine’s people, as has the City of Cape Town. In regard to Cape Town’s authority, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has taken to call out the national government’s muddy stance on the situation. In Russia’s perspective, South Africa is still a friend.
As part of those making their positions clear in the murky context of SA-Russian relationships, is former president Jacob Zuma.
The Jacob Zuma Foundation recently issued a statement, titled ‘Jacob G Zuma Foundation Statement on Russia and Ukraine impasse’ which in short expressed a favouring of ‘His Excellency President Vladimir Putin’ and positioned Putin as a person of peace.
“His Excellency President Vladimir Putin has been very patient with the western forces. He has been crystal clear about his opposition of the eastern expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into Ukraine, among other areas, and is on record about the military threat posed to Russia by the presence of these forces; if allowed to be on his door-step,” the statement reads.
“Surely in terms of efforts to achieving world peace, the sovereignty of Ukraine and all the democratic dictates cannot mean allowing NATO to establish the presence of any sort in any of the adjacent terrorists within the USA; the USA would certainly act in a manner that it believes would neutralise such a perceived threat,” it continued in terms of Putin’s troops in Ukraine.
Zuma’s backing of Putin doesn’t come as a shock. Zuma reportedly received training in the Soviet Union during the struggle years and was a firm force in strengthening South African-Russian relationships under his presidency. It was also under the Zuma presidential years that South Africa succeeded in joining the major emerging economies from the Global South, BRICS.
Is Ramaphosa following in Zuma’s footsteps?
For those questioning why South Africa abstained from the UN vote, this isn’t the first time this has happened when it comes to Ukraine. Back in 2014, under Zuma, SA also abstained from voting in favour of another resolution “supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014” as The Daily Maverick reminds.
All eyes are on President Ramaphosa as the conflict continues to ensue, as locals and the world persist in wondering if Ramaphosa will actually take a side, or continue to take a side without actually taking a side.
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Picture: Twitter