DA leader says GNU partner does not share Ramaphosa’s fondness for Russia, Putin
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said his party distances itself from recent comments made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Ramaphosa described Russia as “a valuable ally and friend”.
Ramaphosa held bilateral talks with Putin on Tuesday, where he led South Africa’s participation in the XVI Brics Summit.
On the sidelines of the Brics summit, Ramaphosa said South Africa continues to see Russia as a valued ally and friend, who supported the country since the days of apartheid.
The summit is being held between October 22 and 24, where leaders of Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are meeting for the first time since new members were invited to join Brics during the last Summit.
“The Democratic Alliance, as a key partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU), rejects this characterisation in no uncertain terms. The Democratic Alliance does not consider Russia, or Vladimir Putin, to be an ally of our nation,” said Steenhuisen.
He said the DA saw Russia as an authoritarian regime, that was “currently violating” international law by waging an “imperialist war of aggression” against a sovereign State.
Steenhuisen said that at a time when South Africa was experiencing “renewed optimism” owing to the GNU, government cannot make statements that could jeopardise international relations and trade opportunities.
“As leader of the Democratic Alliance in the GNU, I reiterate the importance of positions expressed on behalf of the GNU being subject to full and proper debate within the government mechanisms before being announced as positions of the GNU to ensure maximum consensus and agreement amongst the parties to the GNU,” he said.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
The Beneficiation Academy is a certified training institution that follows all compliance legislation and is accredited with various Sector...
VISIT SHOWROOM
The SAIMM started as a learned society in 1894 after the invention of the cyanide process that saved the South African gold mining industry of the...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
