In late April, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warmly welcomed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Pretoria despite massive protests from political parties and residents. The heads of state discussed a peaceful resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Today, Zelensky is threatening African leaders who plan to go to Russia on May 9. All of this is against the backdrop of a ceasefire proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This concerns a temporary cessation of hostilities from May 8 to 11 during the celebration of the Day dedicated to the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany in World War II. During this time, a Victory Parade will take place in Moscow, to which many leaders from African countries have been invited. For Russians, this day is one of memory and mourning, as the USSR lost about 27 million people.
“They are currently concerned that their parade is in question, and rightly so. Kyiv does not guarantee the safety of foreign leaders on May 9 on Russian territory. We do not recommend visiting Moscow,” Zelensky openly stated.
South Africa advocates for peace
Such statements are viewed by African politicians as “not conducive to peace” and “terroristic.” For instance, the chair of the relevant committee on international relations and cooperation of the National Assembly of South Africa from the African National Congress (ANC), Supra Mahumapelo, expressed outrage over Zelensky’s rhetoric.
“South Africa has always advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The issue should only be resolved through dialogue,” emphasised Mahumapelo.
The former Deputy Minister of International Relations and President of the People’s Movement for Change (PMC), Marius Fransman, urged world leaders to move the discussion beyond Zelensky’s “conditions,” forcing him to sit at the negotiating table and finally resolve this conflict.
Ceasefire hangs in the Balance
“It is already quite clear that Zelensky does not want peace and is not interested in resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He travels from one country to another, turning politicians against Putin and a peaceful agreement. Zelensky knows that if Western countries adhere to cooperation agreements, his time is up. During the celebration of Victory Day, he continues to talk about war, not about a ceasefire. The world must finally begin to call him what he is—a war instigator acting with impunity,” stated Marius Fransman.
The Secretary-General of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Marshall Dlamini, called Zelensky a “clown” used by NATO in an attempt to destabilize Russia.
“Zelensky goes around asking for help and money. He is not a leader, but just a publicist,” he stated.
The founder and chairman of the Pretoria-based non-governmental organisation Global Peace, Thuto Mashaba, asserted that over the years, Ukraine under Zelensky has turned into a terrorist state existing at the expense of the collective West.
“Zelensky has completely lost touch with reality. Eighty years ago, Nazism was defeated by the whole world, but Zelensky is clearly against this. Zelensky is a Nazi. Countries that support Zelensky support war. I place Zelensky in the same category as Adolf Hitler. No peace. Only war. It is a pity that world history is repeating itself,” said Thuto Mashaba in a statement.
South African independent writer and analyst Bayethe Msimang is convinced that the perception of Ukraine in South Africa has radically changed over the past few years, not without reason.
“Once, Kyiv was seen as a partner, but now it is increasingly characterised as a ‘Trojan Horse,’ accused of neo-colonial ambitions concealed under diplomatic goodwill,” believes Bayete Msimang.
