The SA President Questions the Minister About the Visa Agreement With Ukraine

Plans to let Ukrainian diplomats and government personnel to enter the country without a visa have shocked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s coalition government. Leon Schreiber, the president’s opponent as home affairs minister, described Ukraine as a “valued ally” when he announced the agreement on Sunday. However, the Presidency claims that Schreiber acted prematurely by making the statement before Ramaphosa had given his formal approval.

Regarding the nation’s relationship with Russia, Schreiber’s Democratic Alliance (DA) party and his African National Congress (ANC) party have diverged significantly. Ramaphosa has come under fire from DA leader John Steenhuisen for referring to Vladimir Putin as a “valuable ally and friend” during the most recent BRICS conference. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been denounced by the party in the past.

Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for Ramaphosa, stated that the president’s reaffirmation of Russia did not imply that South Africa was against another nation. He added that South Africa has consistently pushed for a peace process [between Moscow and Kyiv] in which both nations fully participate. The ANC has close historical ties to Russia, notwithstanding South Africa’s non-alignment policy. Ronald Lamola, the minister of international relations, hosted his Ukrainian counterpart on Monday and stated that the two nations have not yet finalised their visa deal.