by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – IT appears the country’s controversial foreign policy will be the biggest source of conflict between the parties in the coalition government leading South Africa.
The latest blip comes amid President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tour of Russia for the historic edition of the BRICS Summit, where he declared the host country as South Africa’s ally and friend.
“We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid,” Ramaphosa said at a bilateral meeting with counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
He informed the Russian head of state that South Africa had formed a Government of National Unity (GNU) following elections in May, and the administration aimed to stabilize the country politically.
However, Ramaphosa’s sentiments have further highlighted divisions in the unity government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), a major party in the coalition government, distanced itself from Ramaphosa’s comments.
“DA as a key partner in the GNU, rejects this characterisation in no uncertain terms,” said John Steenhuisen, Leader of the DA, who is also the country’s agriculture minister.
He emphasised, “The DA does not consider Russia, or Vladimir Putin, to be an ally of our nation.”
The DA is in coalition with Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) and other smaller parties.
The ANC sought partners after for the first time since the first democratic election in 1994, it failed to secure a majority rule.
ANC and DA with a long history of differences in South Africa’s foreign policy, it remained to be seen how this would affect the coalition.
The DA accused successive ANC-led governments of aligning itself with autocratic states and failure to condemn them. The ANC has claimed neutrality and “quiet diplomacy.”
At the centre of the differences in the prevailing geopolitical crises is that while the government of Ramaphosa has resisted calls to condemn Russia over its attacks on Ukraine, it has been the most vocal critic of Israel in its onslaught of Palestine.
It is inconceivable South Africa would condemn Russia, with ties dating back to the apartheid days and that both are members of the BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
At the 16th Summit in Kazan, several new member states participated for the first time since they were accepted in 2015.
Some believe Steenhuisen’s response is akin to washing the GNU’s dirty linen in public and disrepute to a government he and his party swore to serve.
Academic, Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng, said, “Objectively, you may have grounds that Putin is not our ally, and you are entitled to that view.”
“But it is both inappropriate and irresponsible to claim that the head of state whom you (along with other MPs) mandated to represent South Africa in all official capacities (including foreign policy) is not acting on behalf of the nation.”
She wrote to Steenhuissen, “Publicly discrediting your own president’s mandate crosses a line and undermines the integrity of the government in which you serve.”
In September, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube (DA), snubbed the signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill by Ramaphosa.
The DA is against some provisions of the bill.
Earlier in October, DA expressed anger after ANC-led a motion culminating in the ouster of the DA’s Cilliers Brink as City of Tshwane, South Africa’s executive capital.
– CAJ News