Pro-Russia hawks in ANC likely to push back against US after ambassador’s outburst

What perplexes me most about the ANC is it's complete inability to think in anything other than zero-sum terms. There is a complete lack of ability and skill in our foreign policy, just luddite, sloth-like determination to be 'anti-Western'. It is not simply puerile, in this modern age and it is not smart or brave: it is at odds with every tenet of skilled diplomacy. Sure, you want to stick with the buddies who supported you during apartheid (who included Ukraine, obviously, as part of the USSR), and yes you want to be part of a grand new world order, where the USA isn't the only game in town. That's fine. But to risk billions of Rands in potential exports to the USA if it withdraws AGOA preferences is dumb, it's arrogant and it smacks of the lack of care that the ANC has for ordinary South Africans. At a time when our economy is hemorrhaging jobs, taxes and everything else, you gamble on access to the world's largest market? Pathetic. Other countries have abstained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine without actually supporting Russia openly. Ditto the increasingly difficult line between China and the USA - Zambia for one has made it clear that it won't choose sides and welcomes investment from both and relations with both. India is a member of several security organisations, some with China, others explicitly to oppose China. How? They have sophisticated diplomats who put the interests of their coutries first - not just batsh!t ideologues tilting at windmills.

I'm sorry but I can no longer contain my contempt for the imbeciles in the ANC. To attempt to blame the US for the war in Ukraine merely proves what so many of us have suspected, that the ANC and it's pro-Russia hawks are a bunch of morons who wouldn't know anything about appropriate foreign policy if it came knocking. Did the ANC corner the market on stupidity for the last 2 years ? So it seems.

Basically, Ukraine vs Russia travesty is an embodiment of Capitalism vs. Communism. Thought this war was over when the Berlin wall collapsed! Is Putin trying to breathe life into Communistic cadavers?

The ANC is as clueless on foreign policy as it is on electricity/energy. And the lights are going out - say no more! The consolation I can offer to the American ambassador (and to Ukraine) has already (ironically perhaps) been stated by Julius Malema. We can't even produce electricity let alone arms!

Push back against the US ?? Get tough with the US ?? Delusions of grandeur methinks. Just the same incoherent stream of invective directed against the US ambassador as against de Ruyter. Utterly and completely devoid of reason or principle.

The strategic interests of the USA in SA’s coastline, mineral wealth, role in geo-politics and in the promotion of constitutionalism in Africa far outweigh the concerns about what may have been in a few shipping containers loaded onto the Lady R last December in full view of anyone in Simonstown, including the CIA.

With this the latest blunder by the ANC, following on all their corruption, the opposition parties should call for an early general election so the ANC can be voted out sooner than next year. South Africa cannot withstand the rapidly downward slippery slope this incompetent government has set us on. All South Africans will suffer if nothing is done urgently. Business should also start putting pressure on the Government

First, let me say that the opening of "comments" again to others not able to afford "insider" status, as this humble retiree is a case is a welcome surprise. On top of the energy, employment et al crises our country faces, do we really want to go down this road. Do we really want to be the new Venezuela, Cuba or even Myanmar just because we have a particular "revolutionary" predilection? If the US pulls ALGOA and their European allies no doubt will follow suit, unfortunately our people may become the next population to either eat grass or emigrate. As much as I hate US hegemony, please lets do whats right for our people and in this case put basic rights to the forefront, because when it comes down to it, Russia invaded an internationally recognized sovereign country without direct provocation and is with every step it takes into Ukrainian territory is in fact a "war crime" under the UN prescripts. The same, sane, prescripts that declared apartheid a crime! What are we SA, and what have we become...

Re "The ANC is likely to come out swinging, with the pro-Russian faction using US ambassador Reuben Brigety’s outburst against South Africa as leverage against détente with the US." There should be more outbursts, not worry about how the other side may react. We have been so conditioned by the "innocent until found guilty" syndrome that obvious and gut feel no longer have a place. Therefore US ambassador Reuben Brigety’s "outburst" is called an outburst, which description mitigates it, while it is actually a statement of truth that will never see the light of day under cover of our protectionistic constitution.

By accident, Julius seems to be right this time. It is so that SA does not have the capacity to provide anybody with weapons at the moment - probably not even ourselves. And in December Daily Maverick actually reported that weapons were OFF-LOADED from the Lady R, which is in line with what I understand as the current situation, namely that Russia actually provides US with weapons. I also vaguely remember an article saying that the package contained armaments that Russia actually owed us for some time. So the USA ambassador was probably out of line - but on the other side, maybe the USA wants to force SA to get out into the open about where we really stand, so they can decide if they want to support us further, and also to get clarity about whether they can trust us as their gateway to the rest of Africa. I would not take this lightly; I see the US ambassadors' allegation as an indication that the USA is reviewing its' stance towards us in total, and if it goes against us, it is going to be devastating to our economy, something we just simply can't afford. We are already not invited to the G7 meetings any more; Kenya has replaced us if I am not mistaken.