Leader was SA’s face in Ukraine

SA obtained its freedom and democracy with the support of the family of nations across the globe, including Western democracies. Today, a mere three decades later, our government chooses to remain neutral while the freedom and democracy of a sovereign member of the family of nations are brutally trampled on by a UN member country.

I have no doubt what the reaction of Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison because of his struggle to obtain freedom for his people, would have been.

He surely would have taken a strong position on this invasion. As a SA diplomat I personally conveyed his strong condemAt nation of the atrocities and war crimes in Yugoslavia to President Slobodan Milosevic.

The Democratic Alliance, as official opposition, did take a strong position and deserves applause. Their leader’s visit to Ukraine has been criticised by many as opportunistic. However, I prefer that kind of opportunism above the opportunistic efforts to please Putin. Steenhuisen was SA’s face in Ukraine at a very important moment.

This has been a foot fault by our government that will not go down well in history. Dawie Jacobs