APA-Cape Town (South Africa) President Cyril Ramaphosa has named four envoys to go and “explain our peace mission and to deal with various diplomatic matters” in Group of Seven nations that include some of the country’s biggest trade and investment partners.
Ramaphosa said he would soon dispatch International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel and Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni to the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Italy and Canada to clarify South Africa’a position to push for peace, dialogue and negotiations in the Russia-Ukrainian war.
The ministers’ seniority signalled the seriousness accorded to dealing with the international scepticism of South Africa’s non-aligned stance that has had a negative impact on the economy, including a plummeting local rand currency.
Pretoria recently announced that it would join five other African countries to sue for peace in th warring nations, though they did not give a timeline for the visit.
This G7 envoy initiative comes in the wake of a similar trip by presidential security adviser Sydney Mufamadi and Deputy International Relations Minister Alvin Botes to Washington, DC, recently.
The aim of the officials’ trip to the US was to allay concerns, and to ensure South Africa’s continued participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) that allows preferential and duty-free access to US markets.
“Where concerns are raised about our commitment to our non-aligned position, we have addressed them directly and openly to our partners,” Ramaphosa told the House.
NM/jn/APA