SA govt’s response to Navalny death ‘speaks volumes’
The news of the death of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny on Friday was initially met by a deafening silence from the South African government.
The death of the 47 year old, who survived poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020, caused a global outcry against the oppressive regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin in diplomatic circles.
Navalny died at the remote Arctic Circle penal colony in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets region in northern Siberia, where he was moved to in late 2023 to serve a 19-year jail term.
The prison service said the opposition leader “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness.
His death comes a month before an election poised to extend Putin’s hold on power and while ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and a delegation attended a conference in Moscow.
Clayson Monyela, head of diplomacy in the department of international relations and cooperation, initially said (only after City Press quizzed him about Navalny’s death) that there would be no statement from the department:
“There are other politicians who are being held in prisons and dying. If we issue a statement about one, we must be consistent,” he said.
Monyela’s curt dismissal of Navalny’s death was, however, followed a few hours later with a short tweet on X: “Minister of International Relations Dr Naledi Pandor has noted with concern the news of the death of Alexei Navalny and hopes the circumstances surrounding his death will be thoroughly investigated by the Russian authorities. Condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The Democratic Alliance expressed its condolences to Julia Navalnaya, the wife of the “Russian democracy advocate”.
“That the ANC secretary-general was in Moscow fraternising with the enemies of freedom in the moment of Navalny’s death should send a resounding message to all South Africans as to where our government really stands,” it said.
Western governments have been quick to blame the Kremlin, according to AFP.
“Make no mistake, Putin’s rethese
Other politicians are being held in prisons and dying
sponsible for Navalny’s death,” said US President Joe Biden.
“What happened to Navalny is even more proof of Putin’s brutality.”
There must have been some head-scratching in the corridors of powers of the ANC government as the comrades pondered what to do about the death in prison of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. As Moscow announced the death, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was at a conference there denouncing Western “imperialism”, so clearly there must have been a feeling about not upsetting our Russian friends.
Department of international relations and co-operations spokesperson Clayson Monyela callously said there “would be no statement from the department: There are other politicians who’re being held in prisons and dying. If we issue a statement about one, we must be consistent”.
Well, you certainly have consistently avoided upsetting Russian President Vladimir Putin, that’s for sure. Jimmy Kruger – the National Party police minister who said Steve Biko’s death “leaves me cold” – would have been proud of you…
More compassionate heads must have prevailed because Monyela’s boss, Minister Naledi Pandor, said she “noted with concern” the death of Navalny, adding she “hopes the circumstances surrounding his death will be thoroughly investigated by the Russian authorities”.
With our history of deaths in detention, one might have expected a harsher tone from the ANC – or is that wishful thinking?