While President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the start of peace talks with his counterparts in Ukraine and Russia as a success, the most immediate outcome is expected to be SA being able to proceed with hosting the Brics summit in August.
The details remain unclear, but the presidency confirmed to Business Day on Sunday that the matter was discussed to define a clear way forward on the meeting of heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA.
“As it stands, SA remains the destination for the Brics summit. While SA is hosting, it is important for the president to consult his counterparts before making any announcement,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said.
SA was handed a political, economic and diplomatic conundrum after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin, casting doubt about how SA would act if he shows up for the bloc’s annual summit.
Earlier in June Business Day reported that Ramaphosa would ask Putin to attend the meeting virtually. The government had also been considering a recommendation that the summit be moved to China to avoid complications resulting from Putin’s attendance in SA.
However, it is also understood that the government is still looking into legal mechanisms that would allow Putin to physically attend the Brics gathering.
“The proposal presented by African leaders ... has created a foundation for future engagements that will contribute to a road to peace and resolution to the devastating conflict,” the presidency said in a statement.
“The African heads of states and government asserted several key elements that are vital in starting a path to peace.
“Some of the elements include the de-escalation of the conflict; release of the prisoners of war and children; adherence to the principle of the UN Charter on Sovereignty; ensuring that there is humanitarian support; and postwar reconstruction.”
The African leaders also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for about three hours on Friday. Shortly after his arrival in Kyiv, Ramaphosa had to retreat to a bomb shelter amid an apparent missile attack from Russia.
Ramaphosa travelled to a war zone without much of his security detail, which was stranded in Poland, along with an 11-strong media contingent. The chartered SAA A340-313 passenger jet, ferrying a highly specialised team of security personnel, was stuck at the Warsaw Chopin Airport while tense diplomatic and security negotiations played out on the tarmac.
More than 100 members of the presidential protection service were prevented from flying on to provide specialised protection to Ramaphosa and other African heads of state.
‘Small hitch’
The Polish police confiscated their weapons due to issues with their permits’ validity.
The presidency on Sunday described the government’s failure to get the correct travel approvals as a “small hitch” considering the “logistical complexities” of moving seven heads of state in and out of a war zone.
“It was not an easy exercise, moving people from seven parts of the continent to Ukraine and Russia. But all in all it was a good start,” Magwenya said.
He strongly defended Ramaphosa’s negotiating prowess. “It was a diverse group of African leaders that had to coalesce behind a common viewpoint and then use that diversity to find expression with Zelensky and Putin,” Magwenya said.
He added that Ramaphosa’s experience during SA’s transition from apartheid to democracy in the early 1990s helped him to try pushing for a glimmer of hope. “Even when tensions were escalating, he had to push forward,” Magwenya said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.