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Lamola dismisses double standards claims on SA’s Israel-Russia positions, says GNU has improved foreign ties

Lamola dismisses double standards claims on SA’s Israel-Russia positions, says GNU has improved foreign ties
Peter Fabricius
By Peter Fabricius
10 Oct 2024
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International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says the government of national unity has improved investor confidence. He also said that South Africa had been clear that Russia must respect the sovereignty of Ukraine and had also condemned Hamas for its 'atrocity and the heinous crime' against Israelis but that Israel's response to these October 7 attacks had 'gone beyond any humanity. It is now at the level of genocide'.

The formation of the government of national unity (GNU) has been welcomed by both the Global North and the Global South as evidence of a maturing democracy in South Africa, says Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.

The establishment of the GNU had improved South Africa’s relations across the board, he said in an interview with Daily Maverick to mark the first 100 days of the GNU.

This included helping ensure that South Africa would continue to enjoy privileged trade access to the US under that country’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), he suggested. 

Lamola also insisted that his government was not adopting double standards in its approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine or Israel’s war with Hamas and Iran. He said President Cyril Ramaphosa had been clear that Russia must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine – and had also condemned Hamas for its “atrocity” against Israelis a year ago, its attack on civilians in southern Israel. 

Lamola said that during his recent travels, to the US, UK, China and across Africa, South Africa’s formation of the GNU had been praised as something to be emulated, “even in some of the most advanced democracies”.

It also translated into improved investor confidence and a likely increased flow of investment that could push economic growth to 2% by 2025 and 2026 and promote job creation.

“So there is a level of enthusiasm from the West about South Africa,” he said.

Read more: SA has opportunity to once again become an attractive investment destination

Even in the US Congress, which has been most critical of South Africa’s friendly relations with US adversaries like Russia and China, Lamola said he had experienced a readiness to engage with the South African government in a frank discussion about differences.

As a result, he and Congressional leaders had agreed they needed to create a structured and regular engagement. It is still not clear though if Congress is ready yet to extend South Africa’s participation in Agoa and there are still some legislators who insist that it should be formally reconsidered.

But Lamola said most of the Congressional leaders and think tanks he engaged with during his recent visit to Washington “said they do think that they will definitely renew Agoa”.

Read more: US senators drop plans to mandate immediate review of SA’s eligibility for Agoa

Lamola thought this positive bipartisan view would survive even the election of Donald Trump as president next month. 

“I can’t see how that can be changed overnight by the incoming president, irrespective of whether it's (Kamala) Harris or it’s Trump.”

Building BRICS


On the other side of the geopolitical spectrum, there have been signs that South Africa’s BRICS partners, especially Russia and China, worry that the inclusion of critical parties, especially the DA, in the GNU might diminish South Africa’s relations with them.

But Lamola said not.

“The GNU has been welcomed in both the Global North and the Global South.

“Even China, they see this as a sign of maturing democracy, that South Africans were able to find each other, find an applicable solution. And they’ve got companies that are invested here, so stability for them is important.”

Lamola said he and Ramaphosa would be participating in the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, later this month while Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Deputy International Relations Minister Thandi Moraka would be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting taking place at the same time in Samoa. 

Concerns have been raised by some Western commentators that Russia will use the BRICS summit to try to drum up support for its war against Ukraine, including by pushing for the admission of some of its close allies as new members of BRICS.

But Lamola said South Africa would go to the summit with the same message: “We want to see an engagement between Russia and Ukraine that must lead to a peaceful settlement of the ongoing war.”

Ukraine has expressed dismay about South Africa supporting a Chinese-Brazilian peace plan because it appears to imply that Ukraine would have to concede the 20%-plus of its land which Russia now occupies as the price of peace.

Read more: Ukrainians alarmed by Pretoria’s support for ‘destructive’ China-Brazil peace plan

Lamola said his government had discussed these concerns with Ukraine “and we think that those are issues that can be engaged on the table of negotiations”.

“We were also clear in that initiative that it should be based on the UN Charter.

“It’s very important because all our positions are informed by the four corners of the UN Charter.”

In other words, respect for territorial integrity? Daily Maverick asked. 

“Yes, yes,” Lamola replied.

On the question of admitting new BRICS members, Lamola said South Africa favoured the option of only admitting new “partners” to the bloc, which would not enjoy the same status as the five countries which were admitted as full new members in 2023 – Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (though Saudi Arabia has not taken up its membership). 

Other BRICS officials have noted that Russia and China are the most enthusiastic champions of expanding the organisation, while South Africa, Brazil and India are more cautious.

‘We called for the release of hostages’


Members of the Jewish community in South Africa and others have sharply criticised the government for what they regard as its double standards in vociferously criticising Israel in the current conflict – while remaining virtually silent on the actions of Hamas and Iran.

“Sometimes we really can’t be blamed for the volume not being put on the issues that we raise,” Lamola replied. 

Read more: Israel-Palestine War

Read more: War in Ukraine

“With regards to the Gaza Strip, we have condemned Hamas from the onset. We condemned the actions of Hamas. We called for the release of hostages.

“And we have done this in all the platforms that we have dealt with this matter, including the President at the UN General Assembly.

“But the manner in which the state of Israel has responded to the atrocity and the heinous crime of Hamas on the 7th of October, that must be condemned, is disproportionate to the offence committed.

“It has gone beyond any humanity. It is now at the level of genocide.”

Lamola said that was why South Africa would file its so-called memorial, its substantive charge of genocide against Israel, at the International Court of Justice at the end of October. 

Lamola said South Africa’s submission to the ICJ earlier in 2024 had consisted more of allegations, though including some evidence, seeking interim orders against Israel.

“But this is now more of the evidence itself in forensic detail and showing in reality that this is not just a plausible case of genocide, but indeed it is genocide.”

G20 potential


Lamola also described South Africa’s upcoming chairing of the G20 in 2025 “as one of the greatest opportunities for our country to showcase the beauty of our country and also our capabilities in various industries”.

“So, this is one of the biggest national projects to ever be undertaken after the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

“Our priorities will include the issues of the reform of the global financial architecture, the issues related to climate change financing.”

Read more: Why South Africa should spend more money on the G20

Lamola dodged the question whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend the G20 summit in South Africa. 

“Obviously we have not yet considered those kind of issues, but we will process it and handle it with the necessary diplomatic sensitivity and care that it needs to be handled with.

“This is the way we handled the BRICS situation,” he added, referring to the diplomatic gymnastics his government performed in 2023 to ensure Putin did not attend the BRICS summit in Sandton, without causing a crisis in the organisation.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest relating to the Ukraine war and as an ICC member South Africa is obliged to arrest him if he enters this country.

However, most diplomats are sure Putin will not try to attend the summit, since he has not attended any G20 summit since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. DM

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