Anti-apartheid activist Dr Allan Boesak has backed South Africa’s non-aligned stance in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Boesak, who recently made headlines when he snubbed an invitation to the United Democratic Front’s celebrations in August, said the Russia-Ukraine matter needed to be looked at in a historical perspective.
“I think SA should look historically and know the war did not start in 2022, the war between Ukraine and Russia started in 2013/2014, with that coup they called the Maidan Revolution where they brought in those Neo-Nazis to create havoc and get rid of the elected government,” said Boesak, who was speaking to SABC News in a wide ranging interview.
Boesak said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been repeatedly warning that he did not want to go to war with Ukraine.
He also warned against NATO expansion, said Boesak.
He said former US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland invested $5 billion (almost R94 billion) “to create a new situation in Ukraine”.
In a December 2014 report by Reuters, Nuland was quoted as saying new funding for Ukraine must be pegged to the Eastern European country implementing reforms.
“SA can only go in that (mediation) with the right and proper historical perspective and then we say to them, take into account if Russia warns for eight/ nine years ‘please do not threaten our existential security’, you have to take that seriously and you can't be arrogant like the West and Mr (Joe) Biden where you push push push because you want to get rid of Russia.
“The US does not have the right to get rid of anyone. They must make sure they come to the table like any other nation and build a multi-polar world, not a unipolar world, as we have had for the past 40 years,” he said.
Boesak said through BRICS, South Africa had an opportunity to carve out a strong leadership role as a founding member and contribute towards the future of a multi-polar world.
He said in a multi-polar world, the Global South had to put their stamp in world politics and South Africa was in a position to do so.
Meanwhile, speaking on the 2024 general elections, Boesak said South Africans found themselves divided, traumatised and miserable.
He said there was anger and disappointment, and that the spirit of the UDF could be revived, but it could not be for the benefit of the ANC.
“The ANC has a history to fall on and a lot of excellent people have been pushed aside and marginalised … They must stand up and raise their voices,” he said.
Boesak said he hopes strong civic movements could be restored in order to hold politicians accountable.
He said they wanted to see a return to the politics of decency, honesty, integrity, courage and virtue, the type of politics “our people died for”.
“The self-serving politics must go,” he said, while he also thought the coalitions would be a disaster.
IOL