Navalny’s death demands ANC’s attention, not indifference

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.

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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.

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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?

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