South Africa’s non-alignment foreign policy stance is the correct position to adopt in the ongoing Russian and Ukrainian conflict.
This was the prevailing sentiment at the ANC-sponsored Russia-Ukraine Dialogue on Wednesday night.
According to the country’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, the country will be vindicated in the end for refusing to pick a side between Russia and Ukraine.
Any attempts to force South Africa to align itself with one of the warring parties were successfully thwarted, said Monyela.
“We are no longer just saying non-aligned, but we say active non-alignment to give meaning to the active part with the actions we have taken as a country, for example, the Africa peace mission to Kyiv and Saint Petersburg,” said Monyela.
“If you want evidence of how correct this position is, it is the fact that [Ukraine] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky was willing to receive the seven African heads of state. If we had taken sides, it would have been difficult for the two capitals to receive us.
“We will continue with this position because we believe it is very correct. Even those critical of South Africa’s position cannot tell you what the alternative must be. Non-alignment should never be confused with neutrality. We are not neutral.”
Chris Landsberg, a renowned former professor at the University of Johannesburg, supported Monyela and insisted that non-alignment is the sensible course to take in times of international conflict.
Landsberg said South Africa has always been non-aligned, but what raised the ire about its stance on the Ukraine situation is that the country allowed its stance to lay dormant for the longest time.
“We have allowed non-alignment to remain dormant and will resurrect it when it becomes necessary. Non-alignment has always been relevant. The ANC government allowed it to lie dormant,” said Landsberg.
He criticised the ANC government for only lending an ear to Ukrainians after the wild claims that South Africa supplied Russia with weapons on the Lady R ship – made by the disgraced US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety.
“Did we give President Zelensky enough time before the Lady R sung? Did we reach out to Ukraine as much as we did to the Russians? Or did we do it only after the rogue action of an American ambassador? That was rogue at the highest level for that ambassador to do that,” said Landsberg.
The professor believes South Africa shot itself in the foot by remaining quiet for too long under the assumption that the war was not going to last long.
Making moves now was probably today, he said, because the war had transformed into other political matters, such as attempting regime change in Russia.
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