South Africa embarrassed, DA wants ‘shambolic’ African peace mission investigated

The Democratic Alliance wants parliament to interrogate the cost of South Africa’s participation in the ‘shambolic’ African peacekeeping mission to Ukraine and Russia.

It appears the mission, or at least the South African leg of it, was doomed before even landing in Ukraine’s ravaged capital city of Kyiv.

ALSO READ: Warsaw to Kyiv: Ramaphosa’s peace mission a high-stakes diplomatic crisis?

Poland grounds SAA

On Friday, South Africa woke up to news that Poland, a close ally of Ukraine and the USA, grounded the South African flight carrying a large consignment of security personnel, undeclared arms and a contingent of local journalists (The Citizen wasn’t invited) for incorrect documentation and carrying dangerous weapons on board.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had arrived in Warsaw before the SAA chartered flight, was already en route to Kyiv via train with a small contingent of security personnel when the Poles refused to allow passengers and security to disembark.

Ramaphosa’s head of security, Wally Rhoode, in an unprecedented move, held an impromptu press conference on the flight’s steps blasting the Polish government for “sabotage” and “racism.”

The Polish later fired back, saying “its ministry had made every effort to prepare for Ramaphosa’s visit to Poland properly, but there were “dangerous goods were on board the plane, which South African representatives did not have permission to bring in”.

“Cyril Ramaphosa must be held accountable for the millions of rand in taxpayer funds wasted on his failed PR stunt,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen.

The big missile lie

Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa had disgraced South Africa on the global stage.

“Not only did the Presidency lie about being unaware of missile strikes on Kyiv while Ramaphosa’s so-called peace mission was in town, but his administration’s sheer incompetence caused a planeload full of his bodyguards, journalists and apparently unauthorised weapons to be denied entry to both Poland and Ukraine.”

ALSO READ: Kyiv air raid: Vincent Magwenya slammed as ‘biggest liar in world’

The party promised to submit a series of urgent parliamentary questions to determine the full cost of the trip, and it wants a detailed breakdown of the security detail accompanying the president.

“We will also be submitting a question the president asking whether he stands by the cries of racism levelled at Polish authorities by his disgraced security chief, Wally Rhoode, who is also a prime suspect in the Phala Phala scandal,” Steenhuisen added.

It appears that Ramaphosa’s ill-fated aeroplane did not have authorisation to enter the airspace of various countries, while dangerous and undeclared weapons and goods may also have been on board.

“Covering up its incompetence by shouting “racism” is something the ANC is used to at home. But on the global stage, it will simply hasten our country’s return to a pariah state,” Steenhuisen warned.

“It is now clear for all to see that this trip was designed to spin the utterly incompetent Ramaphosa out of trouble over his ongoing support for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He even flew an entire contingent of journalists to Europe in the obvious hope that they would help save his collapsed political image,” Steenhuisen concluded.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa insisted, despite the glaring PR blunder, that the peacekeeping mission was “impactful.”

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa arrives safely in Kyiv Ukraine amid Polish security conundrum