Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is expected to be discussed at the Brics summit that kicked off on Thursday and is being hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Russia, a member state of the emerging economies grouping also comprising Brazil, India, China and SA, invaded neighbouring Ukraine after it expressed the wish to join the Western military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). Western nations led by the US imposed sanctions on Russia and pumped billions of dollars in military and relief aid into Ukraine.
But they have struggled to persuade Brics members to condemn Russia. SA, like the Brics countries, has opted to largely remain neutral, even offering to mediate in the conflict.
The war has led to global economies taking a big hit as Russia provides 40% of gas to Europe and Ukraine is one of the leading producers of grain, fertiliser and other agricultural products.
Brics economies jointly represent 25% of global GDP, 20% of world trade, and about 41% of the world’s population.
Political analyst Levy Ndou said: “This is the right opportunity, in my view, to get the position of the Brics members on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We should be able to understand how they think and what they think is the right attitude towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Ndou said in equal measure, Russia should see the summit as an opportunity to explain its actions in Ukraine: “There has been a lot of criticism from the West, and we couldn’t get Russia’s side. I would expect Russia to be able to explain their action to Brics. I think Russia would want to use this as an opportunity to make Brics members understand why they are doing this and when they intend to get out of Ukraine.”
Ramaphosa’s delegation to the summit, which is being hosted virtually, includes international relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor and her counterparts in the presidency (Mondli Gungubele), finance (Enoch Godongwana), trade, industry & competition (Ebrahim Patel), and small business development (Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams).
Expected outcomes include a stand-alone Brics high-level meeting on climate change; a cultural agreement; and the adoption of a Brics digital economy partnership.
“Our Brics membership continues to benefit the country. In 2021 [2021] over 17% of SA’s exports were destined for other Brics countries, and over 29% of our total imports came from these countries,” a cabinet statement said on Thursday on the outcomes of a meeting held on Wednesday.
“The value of this trade continues to grow, with total SA trade with other Brics countries reaching R702bn in 2021, up from R487bn in 2017.”
“Collaboration within Brics members in various areas such as health and enhanced trade has grown our local industry, and benefited all Brics members. Our investment in infrastructure development projects and efforts to reduce red tape when doing business aim to increase exports to our Brics partners.”
Burglary
Meanwhile, the cabinet moved to defend Ramaphosa over the controversial burglary at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, describing him as a man of procedure and that it has faith in his approach in handling the matter.
Gungubele said on Thursday: “When this matter came to the fore, the president made an undertaking to co-operate with law enforcement agencies.”
Business Day has reported that the elite crime-fighting unit, the Hawks, has taken over the investigation of the multimillion-dollar burglary, after a complaint laid by former intelligence department director-general Arthur Fraser.
Fraser laid money-laundering charges against Ramaphosa at Rosebank police station in Johannesburg recently. Ramaphosa has insisted his hands are clean and the stolen money was the proceeds of the sale of cattle that he intended to bank, but Fraser alleges in his affidavit that Ramaphosa, with the help of the police, kidnapped the thieves, recovered the money and bribed them to conceal the theft.
Gungubele said there had been no material developments that warranted any further discussion or action on the part of the cabinet.
“South Africans must look at how the president has subjected himself to law enforcement agencies before ... there is nothing new, where we are sitting, that says as the NPA [National Prosecutions Authority] we have found these findings and on the basis of these findings, the president is being charged.”
Ramaphosa, replying to debate on the presidency budget vote on June 10, said he would not discuss details of the burglary at his farm about two years ago, citing legal advice.
“The robbery that took place on my farm Phala Phala in 2020 is the subject of a criminal complaint and the law must be allowed to take its course. In other words, due process must be followed,” he said.
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