In a speech in New York, David Masondo, the Deputy Minister of Finance, has reiterated South Africa’s claims that it is neutral in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Masondo was speaking at the opening of Rand Merchant Bank’s office in the city.
News24 quoted Masondo as saying: ‘Let me state our position clearly. South Africa supports a rules-based international order, underpinned by the UN Charter and the sovereignty of all nations. We have consistently taken a non-aligned stance on the conflict in Ukraine. We do not accept that our non-aligned position favours Russia above other countries.’
He also said that the United States was one of South Africa’s key partners in a variety of fields. Masondo pointed out that the United States was also South Africa’s third-largest trading partner, as well as South Africa’s biggest single source of foreign direct investment.
Masondo’s comments come after recent accusations that South Africa supplied Russia with arms, and that it was increasingly aligned to Moscow rather than being neutral, as the South African government has claimed.
[Photo: Esa Alexander/The Sowetan]