SA’s anti-imperialist stance comes with a foreign policy that undermines human rights
In his account of the US-Israeli war against Iran, Yacoob Abba Omar discusses the dilemma felt by “many South Africans” on whether to oppose imperialism when it’s directed against repressive and undemocratic countries. (“SA’s options after US attacks”, March 26).
The South African government is unconcerned by this dilemma, as it voices opposition against imperialism ― whether real or imaginary — while simultaneously supporting repressive regimes. In 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed Nato for causing the Russo-Ukraine War. This was absurd as Nato is a defensive alliance and the imperialist was not Nato but Russia, which invaded Ukraine.
Since 2022 South Africa has moved even closer to Russia, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, showers death and destruction on Ukraine on a daily basis and orders the murder of political opponents. Moscow is a preferred destination of ANC cadres, like on February 16 2024, the day Alexei Navalny was murdered, when Fikile Mbalula attended a Kremlin conference on combating Western “neocolonialism”.
As its dismal voting record with UN bodies indicates, South Africa pursues a foreign policy that undermines human rights in the name of “anti-imperialism”. It is closely aligned with the Tehran regime and maintains links with Hamas. This calls into question South Africa’s motives in initiating a genocide prosecution against Israel at the International Court of Justice while failing to condemn the actions of Hamas.
None of this exonerates Israel for its actions in Gaza, which are clearly “barbarous”, as American political scientist John Mearsheimer says, nor the imperialism of US President Donald Trump, considered by US economist Jeffrey Sachs to be a “megalomaniac”, but the hypocrisy of South Africa’s position is palpable.
Finally, Richard Pithouse’s suggestion, as quoted by Omar, that Nelson Mandela’s 1990 statement that only those who supported the struggle should dictate who South Africa’s friends should be no longer makes sense in 2026. Presidents Mandela and Thabo Mbeki acted in the national interest, which can hardly be said of their successors.
François Theron
Pretoria
Eskom must release its coal and diesel supply agreements
Eskom refused to reveal details of its coal and diesel procurement contracts to AfriForum because, it argued all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeal, they contain “sensitive” contractual information (“SA’s R1-trillion procurement contracts in transparency test”, March 25).
Sensitive in the sense that the revelations, if now forthcoming and thankfully due to AfriForum’s persistence, will confirm just how South Africans have been beggared by Eskom’s high procurement costs.
As your editorial opinion argued, the reindustrialisation of South Africa depends far less on import tariffs and far more on reducing basic costs, with electricity being a major player (“SA cannot tariff its way back to being an industrial powerhouse”, March 25).
When I worked with Eskom in the 1980s, power stations were closed as being too expensive to run when the supply of coal was only possible by road. Releasing Eskom’s coal supply agreements should confirm what percentage of coal is currently sourced in this way, but evidence suggests that it is significant. The impending surge in diesel costs on April 1 will not only put the spotlight on Eskom’s diesel contracts but will make all such road-delivered coal horrifically expensive.
Unless Eskom restricts coal deliveries to either conveyor belt or rail, South African industry’s destruction can only continue.
James Cunningham
Camps Bay
Cape Town-Mthatha air link is long overdue
Jonny Cohen’s letter refers (“Time to connect Cape Town and Mthatha”, March 24).
It has been my prayer, dream and vision to have direct flights from Cape Town to Mthatha as it would help many people who work in Cape Town but also have homes and family in the Eastern Cape.
Mthatha is the central hub for towns such as Qumbu, Tsholo, Mbizana, Gcobo, Gcuwa, Dutywa, Cofimvaba, emaXesibeni (Mount Ayliff), KwaBhaca (Mount Frere) and Matatiele.
But first the Airports Company of South Africa must expand the Umthatha airport to cater to future growth, since I foresee it will be a growing market as many people want to go home more regularly without spending more than 14 hours on the road each way.
I would recommend that the market be first tested by having a flight to Mthatha every Thursday and Friday, and a return flight to Cape Town on Sunday and Monday. These are the days when people want to go to weekend funerals and other such gatherings and get back to Cape Town for work on Monday.
The taxi and bus owners have already seen this opportunity and capitalised on it, as illustrated by the number of taxis on the road going to the Eastern Cape from Cape Town every Thursday and Friday.
Zamile Peter Khanyiso
Cape Town
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