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In arguably its most shameful foreign policy act since 1994, the South African government abstained from voting for a special resolution before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
The resolution condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine and calls on President Vladimir Putin to immediately withdraw his troops from Ukraine - 141 member states, including Brazil (also a Brics country), Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda, voted for it.
Thirty-five states, including South Africa, China and India, abstained and five countries voted against it.
Once the world's darling and shining light on human rights, South Africa is fast returning to being a skunk nation.
While the UN was voting, Russia was invading Ukrainian cities, bombing civilian buildings, and deploying more troops to the war-torn nation. Ukraine's crime? Wanting to choose its own geopolitical alignment, away from Russia.
South Africa continues to beat the "dialogue" drum: the conflict "between" the two countries must come to an end through mediation.
READ | SA abstains from voting on UN General Assembly resolution demanding Russia withdraw from Ukraine
With respect, President Ramaphosa and Ambassador Joyini, how do you negotiate with a gun against your head?
Russia did not invade Ukraine after failed negotiations. This is not a fight "between" two countries. That is a false equivalence.
Here is a clear aggressor - Russia - who decided unilaterally to breach the sovereignty of an independent country. Whatever you may think of Ukraine's internal policies and politics, it can never be justified for one country to violently invade another.
How can South Africa support this?
Not once in our statement, justifying our abstention from the vote, do we criticise Russia. This has nothing to do about human rights and peace and everything to do with misplaced, corrupted loyalty to a dictator who is losing his empire, day by day.
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The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously said: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."
Let there be no doubt: by abstaining from the UN's important vote, South Africa chose the side of the oppressor in this war.We want to hear your views on the news. Subscribe to News24 to be part of the conversation in the comments section of this article.
