Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) Many are puzzled by South Africa’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite South Africa’s professed “non-aligned” doctrine, Western diplomats and political experts have taken a series of actions that they say are the exact opposite of non-aligned.
These actions include abstaining from the adoption of UN resolutions denouncing Russia, military exercises with the Russian navy, and repeated public denunciations of the United States. He is also accused of loading weapons and ammunition onto a sanctioned Russian cargo ship.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg at the end of last month, with many African countries absent, along with key ministers.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has historical ties to the former Soviet Union. But the vestiges of such ideological relationships usually do not last beyond a certain level.
Money often counts. The scale of trade and aid with the United States and the European Union far outweighs the relatively poor aid from Russia.
So why is South Africa jeopardizing its vital relationship with the West? Researchers and anti-corruption activists at the nonprofit Amabungani Center for Investigative Reporting are looking to an unusual place for answers. It’s the Kalahari Desert.
profitable relationship
A huge wall of dirt rises through a thicket of shrubs in a remote place with almost nothing around. It’s part of a vast mine of manganese, a metal essential to the production of iron and steel.
The mines owned by the Kalahari Manganese Union (UMK), including this corner, are highly profitable. The company has close financial ties to Russian oligarch and sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg. He is a key ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Another major miner, Chancellor House Holdings (CHH), has close ties with the ANC party. The company has hidden its affiliation with the party for years, but confirmed it in 2021 after thorough investigative reporting by media outlets such as the Mail & Guardian. From that year, political parties that received large public donations were required to disclose information.
In a statement to CNN, ANC party managing director Mogopodi Mokoena said the Chancellor House is not a source of funding for the ANC party, but “supports long-disadvantaged individuals or entities in South Africa.” The organization was set up for that purpose, he said.
Mokoena is also Chairman of the Board of UMK Mining Group.
In recent years, the ruling ANC party has been embarrassed by financial difficulties. At one point, it was difficult to pay the salaries of the staff at its landmark headquarters in central Johannesburg.
In recent years, UMK has stood out by far among the ANC party’s list of donors, according to disclosed records. Since 2021, the amount combined with donations from Chancellor House has not fallen below $2.9 million (approximately ¥415.4 million).
UMK said in a statement to CNN that the donation was legitimate.
“Like other democracies around the world, including the United States, South Africa’s legal system allows for clean political contributions by individuals and private organizations. UMK’s contributions comply with domestic law in all respects.” statement)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with South African President Ramaphosa
“Dangerous Tightrope”
But in a country where the lines between the ANC party and government are blurred at best, many worry about the impact such collusion could have on South Africa’s Russia policy.
“Foreign currency imported from Russia into South Africa may be misappropriated for various political funds. Such concerns are growing more than ever.” Karam Singh, executive director of CorruptionWatch, a leading anti-corruption nonprofit, said:
“Ultimately, it could influence where South Africa stands on certain policies,” Singh said.
CNN has repeatedly attempted to reach out to the ANC over the past few weeks, but the ANC has not responded and has not issued a statement on the allegations directed against it.
But opposition leaders and those wary of Russia are concerned about the ties and money flow between Chancellor House and the ANC party, Vekselberg and UMK.
“South Africa is walking a dangerous tightrope. Indeed, politicians often put their party, the ANC party, before the needs of the people. At a time of crisis, it doesn’t make sense to be so closely involved with Russia.” “It’s a very difficult situation,” said Steven Gultz, an analyst for Russia and Africa at the South African Diplomacy Institute.
The U.S. has long been cautious with South Africa, careful not to jeopardize important relationships, Mr. Grutz said.
But the last few months have been different. US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigeti II publicly criticized the South African government and the ANC party’s stance on Russia.
At a press conference with local media, the ambassador said classified information revealed that the South African government had shipped weapons to Russia on a sanctioned Russian cargo ship last December.
Officials deny that the cargo ship was carrying anything, but the South African government is conducting a closed-door investigation.
Ambassador Brigetti also challenged the ANC’s relentless denunciation of the United States and Russia’s stance on aggression against Ukraine.
“It’s a question of the political orientation of the party that governs a country. It’s a question of the policies of the party responsible for placing senior officials in the South African government,” said Ambassador Brighetti.
Chancellor House managing director Mokoena told CNN that the party’s political direction is determined by the ANC and the company has no say in it, denying any conflicts of interest. She also added that the company’s contribution to the ANC party was sound and without any conditions.
Meanwhile, the presence of President Ramaphosa and African leaders at a summit in St. Petersburg late last month underscored Russia’s influence on the continent and the failure of the West to isolate Putin.
The South African government has insisted that its “non-aligned” policy remains the best for the country and for the expected future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The remarks have drawn criticism from Western powers, but the recent announcement that Putin will attend a major emerging-market (BRICS) summit in Johannesburg this month, rather than face-to-face, has prompted South Africa to It seems that he was able to escape from the predicament.
If Putin had decided to go to South Africa, the International Court of Justice (ICC) would have already issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges, and South Africa would have been asked how it would fulfill its responsibilities to the ICC. .
Mr. Vekselberg (left) attends an economic conference in Cape Town in September 2006, with Mr. Putin watching.
long-term relationship
The relationship between South Africa and Bechselberg is not new. Archival photos also show him at a business forum in Cape Town in 2006, signing an agreement with Mr Putin looking over his shoulder.
The Renova Group, run by Mr. Vekselburg, is a huge organization that engages in a wide range of businesses, including infrastructure and mining.
In 2018 and 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Vekselberg for aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Spanish authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized his $90 million Tango yacht, which was docked in the Spanish island of Mallorca after the outbreak of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But Cyprus corporate records show Vekselburg still owns a sizeable stake in UMK despite Western sanctions.
CNN asked Renova Group about Mr Vekselburg’s involvement in South African politics and possible influence.
“The speculation that Renova has any influence is unfounded. The ANC party has no influence and has no conflicts of interest,” a Renova Group spokesperson said in a statement. is a minority shareholder with an indirect stake in UMK, he added.
It is common for non-U.S. companies to successfully evade sanctions by reducing the shareholdings of sanctioned individuals to less than 50% or placing corporate assets in trusts.
Both Vekselberg and UMK are believed to be taking these two measures to avoid being counter-attacked by the US government.
“Long-term investors are entitled to the commercial benefits of private companies,” UMK said in a statement to CNN. “Mr. Vekselburg does not hold UMK shares directly and does not exercise any management or shareholder rights in UMK.”
Such claims may not be enough to dispel domestic concerns. South African skeptics and tenacious media worry about the potential costs of South Africa’s Russia policy.
“Investment, trade, jobs, economic growth, currency, isolation from the West are at stake.
The close relationship between Russia and South Africa emerges from the desert mines
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2023-08-09 21:57:00
