EDITORIAL: From conscience of the world to ‘see no evil’

It has been a long time since SA was the conscience of the world.

For decades the struggle against apartheid was embraced by people across the globe, and the then imprisoned Nelson Mandela was a powerful and inspiring symbol of the fight for justice. When he got out of prison and became president of the “new” SA, he largely stayed true to his convictions and idealism.

One can debate about when the moral decline of the ANC started, and what set the stage for the horrors of the Jacob Zuma presidency, but there can be no dispute that on the international stage, under Mandela the country had a brief period of moral standing and authority unequalled in the world.

Unfortunately, that has long been squandered, and the times when SA has been on the wrong side of the moral argument in key votes at the UN are too numerous to list. Mandela was probably the last prominent ANC leader to condemn Robert Mugabe’s brutality and the destruction of Zimbabwe’s democracy. By the time Mugabe died in 2019 not enough time had passed for former president Thabo Mbeki to have reflected on his acts of folly, and he heaped praise on the despot as an African patriot. 

SA’s moral decline has again been demonstrated by its lamentable response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which despite what Vladimir Putin says is a sovereign state whose people chose independence and self determination after the collapse of the Soviet Union, something the Russian leader sees as a historical injustice and security threat.

The Russian incursion into Ukraine has been brewing for a number of weeks, though denials from Moscow and attempts at diplomacy — and threats of sanctions — from the US and European countries left room for hope. That’s partly because it was hard for many people to imagine that any leader would be reckless enough to risk a military conflict in Europe that could be the worst since World War 2.

That optimism evaporated on Monday when Russia formally recognised two breakaway regions in Ukraine and  ordered the deployment of its forces as “peacekeepers”. After dismissing intelligence that it was set to invade Ukraine as Western propaganda, Russia’s intentions became crystal clear and attracted condemnation from across the world. But there wasn’t a word from SA.

SA likes to think of itself as the pre-eminent country in Africa, yet the strongest voice came from Kenya, with its ambassador at the UN making a powerful speech in defence of nations’ sovereignty. Martin Kimani directly took on Putin’s denial of Ukraine’s right to statehood on the grounds that it was an artificial creation.

He drew parallels with how Africans had to reconcile themselves with borders created by former colonial powers, meaning that “across the border of every single African country live our countrymen with whom we share deep historical cultural and linguistic bonds”. At independence, he said, African states could have chosen to redraw borders based on ethnic, racial or religious identities, risking more conflict. 

Instead, the choice was made to settle for the borders as they existed and to seek closer political and economic relations. “Rather than form nations that looked ... backward into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forwards to a greatness none of our many nations and peoples had ever known.”

SA, the self-proclaimed leader of the continent, was conspicuous by its silence, only adding its voice to those calling for a halt to Russian aggression after the horse had bolted, and even then the message was weak and did not directly condemn Russia. The statement released on Wednesday night merely expressed concern at “escalating tensions” and failed to call out Russian aggression. On Thursday, SA “regretted the escalation” and called for Russia to withdraw its forces.

It’s hard to think that this is the same country that, just a year after gaining its own freedom, was almost alone on the continent in condemning the military government of Gen Sani Abacha of Nigeria after it executed Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other dissidents. Mandela pushed for the suspension of Nigeria from the group, turning the plight of the Ogoni people into a major global issue.  

Mandela’s successors have betrayed his legacy.