South Africa to send ministers to G7 reaffirming nonalignment position

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jun 2023 15:19

Four cabinet ministers will head to the Group of Seven nations' summit to reaffirm that the country maintains its nonalignment position regarding the war in Ukraine.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses a press conference after the G20 Compact with Africa conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany August 27, 2021. (Reuters)

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that four of the country's cabinet ministers will travel to the Group of Seven (G7) nations to explain the country’s non-aligned position on the war in Ukraine.

Since the start of the war, South Africa has declined to take sides and has continuously refused to denounce Russia during UN sessions. This had infuriated important business partners like the US, which has resulted in a drop in the rand vis-a-vis the dollar

The four ministers will be Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor, and two other cabinet members.

“We will continue to maintain an independent foreign policy and will use our presence in international forums to promote dialog and the peaceful resolution of conflict,” the President of South Africa said, adding, “As we work to strengthen ties of trade and investment, we also seek to build support for a more inclusive, representative and equitable world order.”

US accuses S. Africa of providing Russia with ammo without evidence

Earlier in May, the US ambassador to Cape Town, Reuben Brigety, accused South Africa of supplying Russia with munitions in a covert naval operation.

However, the US' public accusations resulted in an angry rebuke from the president, who has played a significant role in establishing South Africa's neutral position on the war in Ukraine, despite US efforts to turn the nation into a key factor to counter its declining hegemony in Africa.

After the US ambassador voiced that Washington considered itself entitled to making claims about what is considered "fundamentally unacceptable" regarding decisions made by another sovereign nation, the South African president expressed that it was "disappointing" that Brigety had “adopted a counterproductive public posture.”

In a statement, the President said that the public allegations made by Brigety "undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterized the recent engagements between US government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President, Dr Sydney Mufumadi."

Then, Ramaphosa explained that the docking of Lady R in South Africa has been "public knowledge" and "while no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the Government has undertaken to institute an independent inquiry to be led by a retired judge."

The US ambassador would later apologize for his remarks.