Is South Africa being coerced into dropping Putin?

What if indeed South Africa did supply Russia with arms and ammunition to aid it in the ongoing war against Ukraine? How would that change or affect SA-US relations?

For some weird reasons the United States of America is overly concerned that South Africa is wading into the war between Russia and Ukraine. Why?

Before we consider US Ambassador Reuben Brigety’s accusations that the US is “confident that weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter last December”, let us jog our memories as to why this is happening.

When the war broke out last year February, all indications were that Ukraine was just being used as a ‘proxy’ in a war between the collective West led by the US and Russia and China on the other hand.

With this latest accusation by the US envoy, we can’t help but arrive at the conclusion that those harbouring that fear or suspicion have been indicted. America knows more about this war than meets the eye!

When South Africa hosted Russian and Chinese navies in joint naval drills in February this year, the US went off the rails accusing South Africa of taking sides with Russia, especially since February marked the first anniversary of the war!

We can now understand the context in which Ambassador Brigety made this accusation. But, the accusation is extremely unfair on South Africa, which is a sovereign state capable of choosing who to make friends with.

Why should the US feel it has an obligation to tell African states which countries they can make friends with and which they cannot?

South Africa will be hosting the BRICS Summit in August and there is a general consensus among public opinion that Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is going to attend to spite the warrant of arrest issues against him by the International Criminal Court.

There is a fear that through this accusation (that SA is supplying Russia with weapons and ammunition), the US could be trying to build pressure on South Africa not to allow Putin to attend the Summit.

But it is it is a tad too late! The US has lost the moral authority to lecture countries on democracy, good governance – it has lost its spot as the world’s superintendent, the world’s policeman that can go around telling people when to sleep and when to wake up!

Today’s multilateral order requires a critical rethink. It can no longer be business as usual. Many other countries are joining the BRICS Group of countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa! It does not require any rocket scientist to realise that these countries joining BRICS are pro-Russia.

Otherwise, how do you explain their desire to join a bloc in which Russia is a member, and not just a member but a founding member. Let us remember that Russia is a member of the United Nations Security Council, that it wields the veto power as one of the only five countries in the UN Security Council with this unfettered power!

How then do you use a multilateral system in which major players are aggressors? Obviously such a scenario blocks all other avenues for redress open to the victim state via such a multilateral system, hence the imperative for the world to reimagine a new world order!

Masisi, Tshisekedi and the HB Antwerp connection

It was a great opportunity for Botswana to step up its diplomatic and bilateral trade relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a step higher. Since the days of President Festus Mogae, Botswana’s attitude towards the DRC has been somewhat ‘aloof ’ or at best ‘indifferent’.

I recall vividly the time when former South African President, the late Nelson Rolihllahla Mandela welcomed the DRC into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and we asked President Mogae why they had not considered extending membership to DRC during Botswana’s 15-year long chairmanship of the regional bloc?

President Mogae’s response, “the DRC has its own way of doing things and we also have our way of doing things” opened room for interpretation! But for Mandela admitting DRC into SADC was an economic imperative and a strategic move that opened access roads for South African businesses and investors to the DRC.

The DRC is renowned as Africa’s richest country. Sadly, this part of Africa has never known peace. It remains one of the continent’s poorest nations, but why so? When Africa was partitioned by European colonisers, Congo became a personal fiefdom of the Belgian King, Leopold.

Belgium raped, pillaged and ransacked Congo. All the mineral wealth of that country literally belonged to the Belgian King and any resistance to having his way invited the worst atrocities that Africa has ever known.

Millions were killed and maimed. This is the legacy of Belgium in the Congo. It was cemented by the brutal dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko, who consorted with Belgium amassing vast wealth at the expense of the county’s economy.

His successors – Laurent Desire Kabila and his son, Joseph Kabila – could not deliver the peace nor the economic salvation that the Congolese people needed – and this has been the sorry state of affairs in that country, made far worse by escalating ethnic tensions!

Now President Tshisekedi, who was in Botswana last week for a state visit is trying to reach out to peers beyond central Africa – ostensibly to SADC, and Botswana particularly to learn how the country has managed to husband its mineral endowment for economic development.

But what is surprising is that Tshisekedi and Masisi have one man in common in their quest to improve their economic lot using their mineral wealth – Rafael Papismedov, the HB Antwerp co-founder, who is said to act as Tshisekedi’s Presidential Advisor and has recently set up HB Antwerp’s local subsidiary, HB Botswana here in Gaborone!

Should we be worried about this relationship given Belgium’s history in the Congo, or should we celebrate this newfound partnership!