CAIPHUS KGOSANA | How can SA in clear conscience abstain in a vote against genocide?

I cannot understand fans of the bloodthirsty despot who rules Russia.

Vladimir Putin is a deranged bully; he’s exterminating an entire sovereign nation because of his absurd insecurities. In Putin’s sad little world the Cold War never ended and somehow the US and its Nato allies are trigger-ready to nuke Russia to smithereens. He needs therapy.

I refuse to take seriously anyone — let alone black South Africans who have first-hand experience of brutal oppression — telling me that Putin is somehow committing genocide to “fight imperialism”. You are allowed to be nostalgic about the USSR and the role it played in our liberation struggle, but don’t confuse the former Soviet Union with Putin’s Russia — a state where protest and dissent are brutally crushed, a darling of the alt-right movement.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was not happy that his minister of international relations called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukraine. There was nothing wrong with Naledi Pandor’s statement, but seemingly this president has an irrational fear of Putin.

In his Monday morning letter, Ramaphosa writes that SA abstained from voting in last week’s UN general assembly resolution, through which Russia was overwhelmingly condemned by the world, because this resolution “did not foreground the call for meaningful engagement”.

 Putin and his generals are committing war crimes and genocide; SA must hang its head in shame that it chose diplomatic cowardice, fence sitting and silence at this poignant moment.

“SA expected that the UN resolution would foremost welcome the commencement of dialogue between the parties and seek to create the conditions for these talks to succeed. Instead, the call for peaceful resolution through political dialogue is relegated to a single sentence close to the conclusion of the final text. This does not provide the encouragement and international backing that the parties need to continue with their efforts.”

What a load of hogwash.

I dug up the full text of the resolution and it is firm in its condemnation of Russian aggression, but mostly importantly, in calling for the immediate safeguarding of civilians who are confined in bomb shelter basements in their homes across Ukrainian cities, running out of food and water. The UN resolution demands civilian protection from both sides of the conflict, not just the Russians.

“Demands all parties to allow safe and unfettered passage to destinations outside of Ukraine and to facilitate the rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations, including women, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, migrants and children, and to respect human rights,” reads point number nine of the resolution.

It also “urges the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict through political dialogue, mediation and other peaceful means”.

Of the 193 member states, 141 voted in favour; 35 (including us) abstained; and five rogue nations voted against.

Why would SA have a problem with this carefully crafted but very strong resolution? Western diplomats based in this country are baffled by our stance and rightly so.

EU ambassador to SA Riina Kionka told the Sunday Times that our decision to abstain was regrettable. “I cannot see what’s inside the brains of the decisionmakers but it’s clear that there is a historic reluctance for SA to take a firm stance when there are great powers involved.”

US chargé d’affaires Todd Haskell said he was saddened SA did not live up fully to its principles. “I would urge my South African friends to name the oppressor here and to not just sit on the fence.”

Ramaphosa and his government have really let themselves down on this one and no amount of justification will wash away the moral stain. We are watching the suffering inflicted by Russia on Ukraine unfold live on all the major global news networks. At last count 1.5-million people had been displaced. Russia is shelling homes and blocks of flats indiscriminately, killing 360 civilians thus far. Daily visuals of trains ferrying terrified Ukrainian women and children out of the country are heartbreaking. By the way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with empathising with Ukraine while at the same time condemning aggression in Palestine, Syria, Yemen and other war zones.

There were reports on Tuesday that Russian soldiers were shooting at the humanitarian convoy attempting to deliver aid to people of the besieged city of Mariupol. Putin and his generals are committing war crimes and genocide; SA must hang its head in shame that it chose diplomatic cowardice, fence sitting and silence at this poignant moment. 

I know this quote has been over-used but Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s words are worth repeating over and over again: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you’ve chosen the side of the oppressor.”