Africa-Press – South-Africa. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says the Russian Federation’s embassy and consulate officials are no longer welcome at the legislature’s functions and events.
In a follow-up to his statement standing by the people of Ukraine following Russian forces’ attack on its neighbour, Winde said legislature staff and officials would not go to any of the Russian Federation’s events either.
Winde came under fire last week for his stance on the war, with the opposition ANC saying the DA-led provincial government had not bothered taking a principled stand against other wars.
Winde said although it was unusual for the provincial cabinet to take a stance on such a matter, they had resolved at a meeting on Thursday to take a clear position to condemn the Russian Federation’s actions in Ukraine and to call for a ceasefire, given the national government’s “ambiguous” position.
Cyril Ramaphosa: SA is on the side of peace in Ukraine-Russia crisis
“While doing so is not common for a province, it was viewed as essential to make clear to our own residents, to the people of Ukraine, and to the rest of the world that we cannot and will not remain ‘neutral’ in the face of such a cruel attack on the democratic values that we all hold dear,” Winde said.
The Western Cape government has also called for a full withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Ukraine.
“While condemning the attack on the sovereignty of Ukraine, we also acknowledge that many Russian citizens are themselves standing up and protesting against this war, and thousands have been arrested as a result. This anti-democratic clampdown also requires condemnation in the strongest terms,” said Winde.
Russian forces entered Ukraine on 24 February after weeks of massing near the border amid a complex set of reasons, which include its opposition to Ukraine’s ambitions of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
NATO is an alliance of countries formed for their collective defence of each other. NATO was initially formed as a response to Russian expansionism and is made up of European countries, the UK and the US.
This not only set off a mass evacuation from Ukraine of Ukrainians and foreign nationals living there, but a slew of sanctions.
ROLLING COVERAGE |
Russia invades Ukraine
The ANC on Saturday called the sanctions “draconian”, in a statement slamming the abrupt cutting of the global Russia Today television feed.
On Wednesday, Western Cape Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said they were scrambling to find alternative markets to buy wheat and fertiliser from, and to re-route its horticultural products to.
As recent as January, the South African embassy in Russia hosted a wine tasting to show off South African wine and encourage imports from South Africa.
Most of South Africa’s wine is produced in the Western Cape.
We want to hear your views on the news. Subscribe to News24 to be part of the conversation in the comments section of this article.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
