“Double Speak” by GNU members the ANC and DA concerning the country’s relationship with Russia and Ukraine poses distinct risks and challenges which could complicate South Africa’s influence and aspirations within BRICS+.
This is the view of at least one international relations expert after Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that he had signed a “historic” agreement granting visa-free access to South Africa for Ukrainian holders of diplomatic, official and service passports and vice versa.
He added that President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to add his signature to this agreement in the coming week. Schreiber’s announcement comes days after Ramaphosa and DA leader John Steenhuisen were at odds over the president’s comments that "Russia is a valuable ally and friend" during bilateral engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 16th BRICS Summit.
International relations expert and director of Surgetower Associates, Siseko Maposa said unlike the GNU's increasing “domestic contestations”, this incident could widen gaps between SA’s foreign policy rhetoric and action, and send mixed signals to the international community.
“The GNU's latest predicament reaffirms my long-held prognosis of the multiparty coalition’s fragile stability and the fundamental ideological and policy disconnect between the ANC and DA, its two main partners.
“Unlike the GNU's increasing domestic contestations, however, this situation poses distinct risks and challenges –including potential diplomatic strain with Russia which could complicate SA’s influence and aspirations within BRICS+, widening gaps between SA’s foreign policy rhetoric and action, and mixed signals to the international community further eroding SA’s soft power capabilities in global politics.
Ultimately, under the GNU government, SA’s foreign policy will likely remain characterised by chronic ambiguity, inconsistent posturing, and deep-seated uncertainties,” he said.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe added that South Africa could not continue to be neutral and needed to take a position.
“The challenge is what we have is doublespeak. You claim to be neutral, but you are expressing lack of a position. It's cowardice. When we have warring factions, everybody’s not going to like you because you are being dishonest. It is part of the GNU dishonesty, part of Ramaphosa's dishonesty. What the DA is doing is exploiting Ramaphosa's lack of position, lack of integrity.
“Imagine if people were neutral under apartheid.
“In a war situation, being neutral means you take the side of the one who wins in the war. So South Africa cannot continue to play this game. It is embarrassing. The international community can see through us. South Africa must have a position, Mandela had a position.
When asked about the likes of Cuba, Libya, he was clear, those are our friends, we’re not going to allow new friends to tell us we must abandon old ones,” said Seepe.
The EFF meanwhile said the DA continued to demonstrate its “disregard for the progressive steps that the government has taken against imperialism”.
“This move further cements the fact that the DA is fully in charge of the 'GNU' and certainly not shying away from reducing the ANC Head of State as a dog on the chain.
“Worse, neither has Cyril Ramaphosa shied away from this treatment from the DA as it was glaring at the signing of the Bela Bill.
“It is only white supremacist arrogance that would sign a political agreement with a state that is involved in a global conflict without discussing the matter with the Head of State and Minister of International Relations for tabling at a Cabinet meeting. It is clear that the DA is determined to reposition SA as a pawn for imperialist powers.”
The party called for the agreement to be rejected.
In a statement concerning its stance on foreign policy, the Presidency said South Africa maintained its commitment to “active non-alignment”.
“South Africa has resisted pressure to align with any one of the global powers or with influential blocs of nations in their pursuit of power contestations that are unfolding in countries across the globe.
“The President observed during his foreign policy address that, “during the ‘Cold War’, the stability and sovereignty of many African countries was undermined because of their alignment with the major powers.
This experience has convinced us of the need to seek strategic partnerships with other countries rather than be dominated by any other country. While some of our detractors prefer overt support for their political and ideological choices, we will not be drawn into a contest between global powers.
Instead, our country strives to work with all countries for global peace and development.”
In declaring Putin and the people of Russia as “valuable friends and allies”, Ramaphosa was not projecting any particular country or block of countries as the enemy, said the Presidency.
“Similarly, as a country that has no enemies, South Africa regards the members of BRICS as friends. It is through the policy of non-alignment that South Africa has been able to constructively engage with both Russia and Ukraine.”
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said the visa matter had been in process for some time.
“It’s not a unilateral decision of the current Minister of Home Affairs. The process has been in the making for some time, it has now been concluded. The visa agreement in question will enable officials and diplomats to travel to each other’s countries without a visa,” Lamola’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri said.
Cape Times