Ukrainian Association Urges South African Government to Immediately Cut Economic Ties With Russia
- The Ukrainian community in Cape Town and South Africa is calling on the country's government to lend its support
- It comes on the heels of days of aggression from Russia as the Federation continues its attack on Ukraine
- Social media users were vocal as they exchanged a plethora of snide remarks, with a few others expressing their concern
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CAPE TOWN - The South African government has been called upon to act decisively as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) is digging deep for their allies in the southern tip of Africa to respond to the request in kind. The request: to stop all economic relations with the country waging the conflict – Russia.
Source: Getty Images
The Ukrainian community took to the streets of Cape Town to demonstrate outside the Parliament building in an attempt to have their cries heard. Various slogans with messages strewn across were carried by the country's immigrants and other supporters standing in solidarity with Ukraine.
Chanting, the hoard demanded that the South African government denounce the acts of aggression being directed at Ukraine from their transcontinental nemesis. UAZA president, Olesya Loubser, reiterated the association's calls for a truce, SABC News reported.
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"We're reaching out to Ukrainians and the government in South Africa to rally behind our country... We ask the SA government to support the solution for peace and condemn Russia for their actions," said Loubser.
According to the United Nations (UN), more than 660 000 people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion from Russia. UAZA staged a peaceful protest outside the Russian Embassy in Pretoria on Friday last week.
A small group comprising a majority of Ukrainian nationals assembled around the embassy and held up placards. The protestors also demanded a stop to Russian President Vladimir Putin's presidency, News24 reported.
Locals take subliminal jabs
South Africans were their usual boisterous selves on social media. In less than a serious fashion, many netizens dumbed down the calls of support from the country. Briefly News looks at some of the reactions below.
@Adam Paya wrote:
"To be honest, South Africa is a playground for the rest of the world. Africans are treated in Ukraine yet people have the nerve to demonstrate outside our parliament."
@Sihle SuaVe Hadebe said:
"If the U.S ain't getting involved, it should tell you that Russia is not one of those countries you can mess with. Besides, we're fighting our own war on unemployment. So, we got our hands full."
@Clayton Hlayiseka Taula added:
"The law of this country is so weak, if it was us black protesting about people unemployment and unequal rights by now the police could have been sent to the scene."
Naledi Pandor asks Russia to withdraw from Ukraine
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor has issued a statement on South Africa's behalf demanding that Russia withdraw from Ukraine.
However, many South Africans feel that her statement does not represent them and that the government should not get involved in the conflict. The situation caused many South Africans to ask "which South Africa" Pandor referred to in her statement.
According to TimesLIVE, Pandor believes that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will bring about unnecessary violence and that a peaceful, diplomatic solution needs to be found.
Source: Briefly News
