Greg Mills

2 weeks ago | dailyfriend.co.za | Ray Hartley |Greg Mills

In her acceptance speech for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, Ukraine’s laureate, Oleksandra Matviichuk, said: “You don’t have to be Ukrainians to support Ukraine. It is enough just to be humans.” Her country has suffered human rights abuses on a biblical scale. Eighty years ago, Ukraine bore the brunt of the Nazi onslaught on Europe. Some 75 million people died in the Second World War. Ukraine suffered eight million deaths, more than five million of which were deaths of civilians.

3 weeks ago | dailyfriend.co.za | Ray Hartley |Greg Mills

South Africa’s one-step forward (hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy), two steps backward (sending Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to Moscow’s 9 May victory parade) attempt to reset the way it approaches the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is, so far, unconvincing. To achieve a shift in perceptions, it needs to work on a more consistent approach based on the value it attaches to democracy and sovereignty. But, if it is serious about changing perceptions, what can South Africa do?