DA's Petition Attracts More Than 4K Signatures, Party Wants Government to Condemn Russia, Citizens Slam Calls

• The DA is calling for the South African government to take a firm stand against Russia for its attack on Ukraine
• To amply its calls, the DA has put out a petition that has garnered more than 4 000 signatures from its supporters
• The mood on social media was repulsive as South African citizens at large criticised the DA over its demands

CAPE TOWN - A petition is doing the rounds and has already attracted 4 000 signatures, says the Democratic Alliance (DA) as it calls for the South African government to take a firm stand against Russia in the war with Ukraine.

The party slammed the African National Congress (ANC) over the country's recent decision to abstain from a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution to condemn Moscow for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, TimesLIVE reported.

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The DA's Darren Bergman said the party felt dissatisfied with the governing party's alleged flip-flopping and that it should take a decisive stand in calling for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, according to EWN.

"Given such atrocity, South Africa cannot stand idly by while its affiliate destroys a neighbouring country. Historic devotion must not trump declarations of war," said Bergman.

"Short of the country rebuking the Russian aggression, it will be a party to an unnecessary war and have the blood of throngs on its hands. The Russian invasion of Ukraine cannot go unchallenged, and the ANC should not hold a neutral position on it. There is no neutrality in a war," Bergman reiterated.

Citizens berate DA calls

South Africans banded together on social media to slam the DA's calls for South Africa to meddle in the Russia-Ukraine war. Briefly News takes a look at some of the loudest reactions below.

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@Monwabisi Mbulelo Xinana wrote:

"A petition calling on the government not to get involved in the deadly conflict between Russia and Ukraine has amassed more than 26 000 signatures to date. This 4 000 is nothing."

@Larry Matlala said:

"4 000 DA members. So good for them. We, as 62 Million South Africans, are not in agreement with you."

@Malesela Drieza-The Brahma Bull added:

"We don't run the government through petitions. The majority of South Africans voted for ANC, and it must be given space to govern. I am not saying it must not be accountable to the people, but this is cheap politics."

SA abstains from UN member states' vote to slam Russia

Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly has undertaken to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine amid a Moscow offensive that has surpassed a week since the first missiles targeting Kyiv were launched.

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But where is South Africa in all of this? At the start of the conflict, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor sent out a strongly worded statement in which she called for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.

Not long after, Pandor backtracked on her sentiments, now toeing the party line in supporting talks, as President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly expressed his unhappiness with his minister's "misrepresentation of South Africa's position on the conflict", SowetanLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News