SA Government’s Position on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Does Not Reflect the Views of All South Africans

23 March 2022

This afternoon, following the ANC-led South African government’s abstention in a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution denouncing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and calling for its immediate withdrawal, ActionSA resolved to take a clear stance on the matter and met with the Ukrainian Ambassador in South Africa, Liubov Abravitova.

The primary intention of the meeting was to convey ActionSA’s support for the Ukrainian people and that the ANC government’s position does not reflect the views of all South Africans.

The refusal to denounce this war places South Africa on the wrong side of history together with a list of countries known for their human rights violations and disdain for democratic principles, and promotes geo-political leftist propaganda of clear-cut lines between global forces of good and evil.

Our blinding and unending allegiance to countries that the ANC government deems to have been our anti-apartheid struggle allies cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged.

Having come out of apartheid just over 27 years ago, South Africans should not be desensitised just because the Russian invasion of Ukraine is taking place far from our shores. In fact, we should be outraged, given that what is happening in that part of the world has direct implications for our own national and geo-political security.

Global agricultural products, food and fuel prices are soaring, putting even more pressure on the poor who are already buckling under the overwhelming oppression that comes with extreme poverty and who are struggling following the economic blow we have all suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cyril Ramaphosa’s government whose delusional idea that abstaining demonstrates a strong stand on some principle cannot deny that South Africa’s recent performance on the global stage under his Party’s rudderless leadership has fallen severely short of the ambitions identified at the dawn of our democracy.

Since the presidency of Thabo Mbeki and his quiet diplomacy on Zimbabwe, we have seen our government drift further and further away from the principles embedded in our Constitution.

While we do not view Russia as an enemy, in the end, President Putin’s show of force against the Ukrainian people must be seen as nothing less than tyrannical and reminiscent of Hitler’s invasion of Poland, a globally devastating moment in history that led to the eruption of the Second World War.

ActionSA’s affirmation of our country’s post-apartheid foreign policy based on “our belief that human rights should be the core concern of international relations” and “considerations of justice and respect for international law”, compels us to stand in support of the Ukrainian people as well as the international community to avoid the possible international catastrophe that is war.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 23 March 2022