SA’s position on the war in Ukraine has been problematic.
We first abstained at the UN General Assembly when it passed a resolution condemning Russian aggression, demanding that it withdraw troops from its neighbour’s territory.
We then tried to sponsor a controversial resolution on ending the conflict without mentioning Russia as the aggressor. It was defeated before it could even make the floor.
When our international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor issued a statement when the invasion began in February, calling on Russia to withdraw its troops, President Cyril Ramaphosa was reported to be unhappy, causing her department to adopt a softer line.
Now we are bickering with the Ukrainian embassy over a long overdue call between our president and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Because Ramaphosa has already been on a call with Russia's Vladimir Putin, there is a perception that Zelensky is deliberately being snubbed.
The Ukrainian ambassador to SA, Liubov Abravitova, took to Twitter to express her frustration over trying to secure a meeting with Ramaphosa and Pandor. The ambassador said she was forced to go public because Pandor’s department had ignored her.
Abravitova said that on February 24, shortly after the conflict started, she requested a call between the two presidents and their foreign ministers.
But Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for the department of international relations & co-operation, insists the delay is the fault of the Ukrainians.
Both sides are behaving in an unbecoming, undiplomatic and abhorrent way
He told the Sunday Times in an interview: “Our president is waiting [for that phone call] so he can engage with her president. Can she make that happen like the Russians made it happen with their president?”
Both sides are behaving in an unbecoming, undiplomatic and abhorrent way.
The Ukrainian ambassador might rightly feel frustrated, but Twitter is not the space to express this.
She needs to continue engaging with the South Africans at diplomatic level and not in public. The South Africans must get off their high horses and hear Ukraine out.
We are not sure if Zelensky is keen to speak to Ramaphosa, given that he hasn’t spoken to other African leaders, including those from countries that support his cause.
However, if he has indeed expressed an interest, there is no harm in getting him together on a call with Ramaphosa. SA has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict; it needs to show its commitment to this by hearing all sides.
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